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US Trade Talks May Have Far-Reaching Impact on UK Tech Regulation, But It Doesn’t Have to Be All Or Nothing

By  |  April 24, 2025

By: Ronan Scanlan (Steptoe/The CMA’s Critical Friend)

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    In this recently-published Newsletter, author Ronan Scanlan explores how the UK might approach trade negotiations with the USA while safeguarding its position in digital markets.

    Rachel Reeves is set to meet Scott Bessent in Washington DC for pivotal trade talks and is expected — perhaps unsurprisingly — to urge the removal of tariffs on UK goods (according to Insider Media).

    In response, the US is likely to demand major concessions, potentially touching on areas such as the Digital Services Tax, Online Safety, agricultural standards, and broader tech regulation (as outlined in this article).

    Reeves has stated she is prepared to “walk away” from any deal that doesn’t align with the UK’s national interest. In an interview with the Mirror yesterday, she reiterated that her non-negotiables include farming, food, and online safety.

    Which — through a careful process of elimination (!) — appears to leave digital taxation and tech legislation very much on the table for today’s discussions…

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