London/New York – Following the announcement that the Department for International Trade (DIT) will pursue trade cooperation with individual US states, BAB CEO Duncan Edwards said:

“We welcome DIT’s initiative to strengthen trade and investment ties between the UK and individual states. This is an opportunity for tangible progress to be made to advance transatlantic trade and investment through state level engagement, reflected in the agreements of MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding).

“This initiative should not be seen as a replacement for a full free trade agreement between the UK and the US which is something that our membership continues to believe would benefit both countries, but engaging at the state level presents an opportunity to build the momentum behind the UK-US trade and investment agenda. It will help build a vibrant coalition of support for future UK-US trade talks and strengthen local economic ties, creating new opportunities for US and UK businesses.

“We look forward to continuing to work alongside the government to support this initiative.”