Britain to ink trade deal with Oklahoma, architects’ licensing pact
2023.04.18 04:38
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – British trade minister Nigel Huddleston will sign two trade deals in Washington this week – one with the U.S. state of Oklahoma and the other aimed at easing rules for UK architects working in the United States, his ministry said on Tuesday.
The trade and economic memorandum of understanding with Oklahoma, to be signed by Huddleston on Tuesday, is the fourth deal Britain has inked with a U.S. state, in a push by London to expand trans-Atlantic trade without a broader U.S.-UK pact.
On Wednesday, Huddleston will attend an event with industry bodies to welcome a mutual recognition agreement brokered by Britain’s Architects Registration Board (ARB) that will simplify licensing for U.K. architects in the US and vice versa.
The ministry said the deal could increase British services exports to the U.S. by $55 million per year.
The U.K.-Oklahoma pact will focus on boosting green trade, particularly in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), the ministry said. The deal is aimed at boosting the $215.6 million worth of goods British companies exported to Oklahoma in 2022 and generating more jobs for U.K. exporters.
Nearly 3,000 jobs in Oklahoma are supported by exports to Britain and nearly 10,000 people in the state are employed by British companies.
“The U.S. is our largest trading partner, and these wins reflect our successful twin-track approach to trade with the U.S., strengthening links with individual states in parallel with work with the federal government,” Huddleston said in a statement.
Britain has signed memorandums of understanding with three other U.S. states – Indiana, North Carolina and South Carolina – and is in discussions with other states including Utah, Texas and California.
