US Freezes £31bn UK Tech Deal, Threatening AI, Quantum and Nuclear Ties | APT

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The United States has suspended the £31 billion “Tech Prosperity Deal” with the United Kingdom, a landmark technology partnership unveiled during former President Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain in September 2025, according to a report by the Financial Times. British officials confirmed on December 15 that the Trump administration halted implementation of the agreement last week, raising fresh uncertainty over the future of US–UK technological cooperation.

The deal was designed to significantly deepen transatlantic ties in strategic sectors including artificial intelligence, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously described the partnership as a “generational step change” in relations between London and Washington. Major American technology firms were set to invest heavily in the UK, with Microsoft pledging £22 billion and Google committing £5 billion, alongside further investments from other US companies.

A key pillar of the agreement was the creation of an artificial intelligence “growth zone” in northeast England, which UK officials said could generate up to £30 billion in economic benefits and create around 5,000 jobs. The suspension now puts those projections at risk.

US officials have linked the decision to growing frustration over what they describe as “non-tariff barriers” limiting American firms’ access to the British market. These include the UK’s digital services tax on US tech companies, food safety regulations affecting American agricultural exports, and broader industrial standards. According to reports, Washington is using the suspension as leverage to push London toward regulatory concessions.
While British officials have downplayed the move as part of ongoing negotiations, neither the White House nor the UK government has issued a formal statement clarifying the legal basis, scope, or duration of the suspension, leaving companies and investors in limbo.

The episode underscores Britain’s strategic vulnerability in the post-Brexit era, as it increasingly relies on bilateral agreements with the United States to secure investment and market access. More broadly, the standoff highlights growing tensions within the Western alliance at a time of intense global competition with China over emerging technologies, where regulatory fragmentation risks weakening collective technological leadership.


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