UK trade agreement could boost Oklahoma agriculture

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a trade agreement with Great Britain, calling it a major step forward for both countries and a validation of his aggressive approach to international trade.

“This is now turning out, I think, really to be a great deal for both countries,” Trump said, adding that the agreement could generate $5 billion in new U.S. exports.

Oklahoma leaders say the deal, while still being finalized, promises substantial benefits for the state’s agriculture industry.

“This is realigning and restructuring our economies,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma. “The president said he wanted to try making the U.K. the first one in, and they delivered on that. But they’re still working out the minor details.”

Among those details: The United States would reduce tariffs on British cars, steel and aluminum from 25% to a 10% baseline. In exchange, the United Kingdom would streamline customs procedures for U.S. exports and open more of its market to American agricultural products, including an estimated $700 million in ethanol exports.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, noted the deal would also allow for more American beef to be sold in the U.K.

“That’s good for Oklahoma and our beef producers,” Lankford said. “But it’s good for the country as well.”

Lankford, who previously expressed skepticism over Trump’s tariff-heavy trade policy in his first term, is more optimistic now.

“Our focus on any of our trade agreements should be what’s helpful to America — period,” he said.

While the agreement with the U.K. appears close, broader trade talks are ongoing. Treasury Secretary Bessent is set to travel to Switzerland this weekend for discussions with Chinese officials. Mullin said additional trade deals are in the works.

“Every time I talk to the president, he’s heading into another conversation with another country,” Mullin said. “This is the first of many to come.”

The final U.K. agreement could still be several months away, but for Oklahoma’s agricultural sector, the early signals are promising.