The Biden administration has rebuffed Britain after making multiple requests for an advanced technology and trade dialogue similar to what the US has established with the European Union.
The UK is snubbed by the TTC
During multiple trips to Washington DC as a cabinet minister over the past three years, Prime Minister Liz Truss urged US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and senior Biden administration officials to intensify discussions with the UK to build clean technology supply chains and further collaboration on AI and semiconductor production.
Many experts, lawmakers, and businesses are concerned that the UK will be left behind, “We tried many times,” said a former Downing Street official, of the British government’s efforts to set up a UK equivalent to the US & EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC).
“We did speak to Gina Raimondo about that, saying ‘we think it would be a good opportunity,’” said the former official — not necessarily to join the EU & US talks directly, “but to increase trilateral cooperation.”
The TTC is co-chaired by Raimondo and was set up in June 2021 and gives the EU a direct link to the US to shape trade and technology policies.
The US is moving forward with export controls on semiconductors to China – building new and secure supply chains away from Beijing and investing in innovation for technology and microprocessors.
The TTC is responsible to ‘set the standard’
The TTC’s ten working groups “set the standard,” according to Raimondo. However, a US-based representative of a major business group said the UK is “missing the boat on not being completely engaged in that dialogue,” adding that “There has been some discussion about the UK perhaps joining the TTC” and that it was “it was kind of mooted, at least in private.”
The response from the US has been “let’s work with what we’ve got at the moment,’” according to the former Downing Street official.
The EU has yet to show much interest in cooperating with the UK to date. Three European Commission officials have disregarded the likelihood of Britain joining the club. However, one of the officials said that London might be asked to join other like-minded countries for specific discussions related to ongoing export bans against Russia.
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