The United Kingdom is reportedly close to signing a trade deal with the United States, according to The New York Times. This would make Britain the first country to secure such an agreement following the US implementation of new "reciprocal" tariffs against various trading partners in April.

US President Donald Trump mentioned an upcoming trade deal briefing on Wednesday evening but did not provide specific details about the countries involved. When contacted by CNBC, neither the White House nor the British Embassy in Washington offered comments on the reported development.

A spokesperson from the UK's Department for Business and Trade acknowledged ongoing economic discussions with the US, calling America an "indispensable ally." However, they declined to comment on specific details or timelines related to the negotiations, stating they would maintain a "calm and steady approach."

The spokesperson added that the UK aims to "find a resolution to help ease the pressure on UK businesses and consumers." It remains unclear whether the upcoming announcement will feature a finalized agreement or merely a framework for continued negotiations in the coming months.

Britain, which maintains a trade deficit with the US, avoided the higher "reciprocal" tariffs when Trump announced his "Liberation Day" duties in April. However, the UK was still subject to the baseline 10% levy applied more broadly to imports.

On April 15, US Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism about a UK-US trade agreement, saying there was a "good chance" of securing a deal "in the best interest of both countries." This statement aligned with what appeared to be positive momentum in the discussions.

However, Trump's Tuesday comments seemed to contradict his administration's messaging. Despite White House officials describing trade deals as a top priority for weeks, the President stated, "We don't have to sign deals, they have to sign deals with us. They want a piece of our market. We don't want a piece of their market."

This trade negotiation occurs amid other tariff-related tensions. The White House recently criticized Amazon for planning to display Trump administration tariff costs alongside product prices on its website. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it a "hostile and political act" during a Tuesday press briefing, causing Amazon shares to drop over 2% in premarket trading.