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☆ UK CFOs turn wary as inflation and borrowing costs bite: Deloitte
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The burst of business optimism seen in the spring has faded under the weight of inflation and rising interest rates," Deloitte's chief economist, Ian Stewart, said. The survey showed early signs of cooling in the labour market with CFOs signalling a further easing in recruitment difficulties and a slowdown in wage growth. The survey of 69 CFOs - 13 of them from FTSE 100 firms and 21 from FTSE 250 companies - was conducted between June 15 and June 27. The CBI called on the government to deliver a clear and stable policy environment and offer incentives for investment, among other measures. ($1 = 0.7625 pounds)Reporting by William Schomberg, editing by David MillikenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ian Stewart, Corporates, Rain Newton, Smith, William Schomberg, David Milliken Organizations: Finance, Deloitte, Bank of England, of British Industry, CBI, Thomson

Economic output fell 0.1% in May from April, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, after growth of 0.2% in the previous month. All sectors of the economy contracted with the exception of services, which showed no growth. Finance minister Jeremy Hunt said high inflation continued to hamper the economy and he called for patience in bringing it down. Some companies in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector said they had benefited from the extra bank holiday, as well as hotels and restaurants, the ONS said. Britain's economy often shows some rebound in subsequent months when output is temporarily dented by extra bank holidays.

Persons: Maja Smiejkowska, King Charles, Paul Dales, Dales, BoE, Jeremy Hunt, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg, Kate Holton, Peter Graff, Toby Chopra Organizations: Charing Cross, REUTERS, National Statistics, Bank of England, Capital Economics, Reuters, ONS, European Union, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Germany

[1/2] People walk outside the Bank of England in the City of London financial district in London, Britain May 11, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls//File PhotoLONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - Britain's economy is so far proving resilient to a surge in interest rates over the past year and a half, but it will take time for the full impact to feed through, the Bank of England said on Wednesday. "The UK economy has so far been resilient to interest rate risk, though it will take time for the full impact of higher interest rates to come through," it said. It said British banks were less exposed than households to the adverse effects of higher interest rates, especially compared with financial institutions in other countries, while the corporate sector remained "broadly resilient". "Nevertheless, higher financing costs are likely to put pressure on some smaller or highly leveraged firms," it added.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, BoE, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, David Milliken, Huw Jones, William Schomberg, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Bank of England, REUTERS, The Bank, Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Silicon

☆ UK economy shows strains and gains, complicating Bank of England's job
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But the BoE is also aware that the economic impact of its 18-month campaign of rate hikes has yet to be felt fully. Below is a summary of key measures of the economy that the BoE will be watching before its next announcement on interest rates on Aug. 3. INFLATION THREATBritish consumer price inflation held at 8.7% in annual terms in May, down from a peak of 11.1% last October but the highest among the Group of Seven advanced economies. Reuters GraphicsINSOLVENCIESThere are signs that companies, especially smaller ones, are struggling as borrowing costs rise and the economy barely grows. Reuters GraphicsGraphics by Sumanta Sen, Kripa Jayaram and Vincent Flasseur; Editing by Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: BoE, GfK, Sumanta Sen, Kripa Jayaram, Vincent Flasseur, Paul Simao Organizations: Bank of England's, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Nationwide, Halifax, Reuters, insolvencies, Wales, Reuters Graphics LABOUR, Thomson Locations: BoE's, Britain, England, Germany

☆ UK wage growth matches record high, keeping BoE under pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The labour market became less tight in May and there are some signs of momentum in wage growth slowing a bit," Ashley Webb, an economist with Capital Economics, said. "But with wage growth still well above the levels consistent with the 2% inflation target, this won't ease the Bank of England's inflation fears significantly." The BoE is monitoring pay growth closely as it assesses how much inflationary pressure remains in Britain's economy even after its 13 back-to-back interest rate increases. "But it always has taken a little time for changes in labour market slack to influence wage growth and some leading indicators remain encouraging." Annual pay growth including bonuses sped up to 6.9%, the fastest on record excluding the coronavirus pandemic period when government job subsidies distorted the data, the ONS said.

Persons: Sterling, Ashley Webb, BoE, Andrew Bailey, Samuel Tombs, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar, Kate Holton, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, of England, Sterling, Bank of England, National Statistics, Capital Economics, of, Pantheon, MPC, Thomson

☆ UK mortgage rates surge to 15-year high after surpassing 'mini-budget' peak
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The average two-year fixed residential mortgage rate climbed to 6.66%, narrowly exceeding the 6.65% touched on Oct. 20 and the highest since August 2008 when it stood at 6.94%, according to data provider Moneyfacts. Governor Andrew Bailey said last month there were signs of more persistent underlying inflation pressures after the BoE unexpectedly raised its Bank Rate to 5% in an effort to tame the highest inflation rate among the world's big rich economies. Swap rates, a key measure lenders use to determine the cost of mortgage borrowing, have also soared. The surge has prompted major mortgage lenders to repeatedly reprice home loan offerings. British homebuyers typically take out mortgages with an interest rate that is fixed for two or five years, and then remortgage on to a new fixed rate or accept a variable rate.

Persons: Liz Truss, Andrew Bailey, BoE, reprice, Andrew Asaam, Suban Adbulla, Sachin Ravikumar, William Schomberg, Kate Holton, Andy Bruce Organizations: Bank of England, Nationwide, Lloyds Bank, Santander, Tuesday, Treasury, Lloyds Banking Group, Thomson Locations: Britain's, British, Halifax

☆ UK jobs market cools again, pay growth weakest since April 2021: REC
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and accountants KPMG said increases in starting salaries for permanent and temporary staff were the weakest since April 2021. The BoE, which has raised interest rates 13 times since late 2021 in an attempt to tame the highest inflation rate among the world's big rich economies, has said it expects pay growth to weaken, easing price pressures. The monthly REC survey showed the availability of staff rose for the fourth month in a row to 57.6 from 55.6 in May, the steepest month-on-month increase since November 2009 excluding the coronavirus pandemic period. REC said uncertainty over the economic outlook weighed on hiring decisions in June. Vacancies ticked up further in June although the pace of growth was the weakest since records started in March 2021.

Persons: BoE, Neil Carberry, REC's, Claire Warnes, Suban Abdulla, William Schomberg Organizations: Bank of England's, Confederation, KPMG, REC, Thomson

☆ French central bank head warns against raising ECB inflation target
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France, July 9 (Reuters) - France's central bank head Francois Villeroy de Galhau pushed back on Sunday against a suggestion from some French economists to raise the European Central Bank's (ECB) 2% inflation target. The aim is to bring inflation down to the 2% target by 2025, Villeroy said at an economics conference in the southern French city of Aix-en-Province. Former IMF chief economist, Frenchman Olivier Blanchard, has long called for a higher inflation target than the 2% shared by most major central banks, arguing that the increased flexibility that would provide would outweigh the costs. In response, Villeroy said that a higher inflation target was a "false good idea" and would lead to higher rather than lower borrowing costs. "If we announced our inflation target is no longer 2% but 3%, lenders would immediately demand higher interest rates, at least 1% (more)" in anticipation of higher inflation and uncertainty Villeroy said.

Persons: Francois Villeroy de Galhau, Villeroy, Frenchman Olivier Blanchard, Patrick Artus, Bruno Le Maire, Andrew Bailey, Leigh Thomas, William Schomberg, Elaine Hardcastle, Alexander Smith Organizations: Bank's, Former IMF, Veteran, French Finance, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: PROVENCE, France, French, Aix, Province, London

☆ UK firms most upbeat in 10 months despite economic headwinds, survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - British companies were the most upbeat about their trading prospects in 10 months in June and their hiring plans increased again but rising interest rates could prompt consumers to rein in spending, according to a survey published on Sunday. Trade body Make UK and accountants BDO said their measure of business optimism hit its highest since August 2022, helped by the survey's gauge of inflation pressure dropping to its lowest in nearly two years. The survey's employment index posted its fifth consecutive monthly increase with rises in the number of self-employed and part-time workers, despite a slowdown in output growth with manufacturers seeing the worst output reading since May 2020. The Bank of England, which is trying to curb the highest inflation rate among the world's big rich countries, is worried about long-term price pressures in the labour market and it is widely expected to continue raising interest rates. Reporting by Suban Abdulla Editing by William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Suban Abdulla, William Schomberg Organizations: ., BDO, BDO LLP, The Bank of England, Thomson

☆ UK's Hunt to detail plans to steer pensions into growth investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt will spell out on Monday long-awaited plans to encourage pension funds and other asset managers to invest in high-growth sectors, the Treasury said on Sunday. But the pensions industry has said it opposes mandatory investment quotas. Financial services lobby group TheCityUK said government policy should aim for pension funds to invest in growth and in turn deliver higher returns. "On average, Australian and Canadian pension funds currently provide better performance. Hunt was also expected to reiterate that bringing down high inflation remained his priority, saying there could be "no sustainable growth without first eliminating the inflation that deters investment and erodes consumer confidence".

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, TheCityUK, Muvija, William Schomberg, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Treasury, Reuters, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: British, London's

☆ Battling Brexit, some British firms turn to invest in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

German data show British firms opened 170 foreign direct investment projects in Europe's biggest economy last year as companies sought a foothold in the bloc's single market. That's a far cry from the 50 enquiries from British firms - rather than projects committed - recorded by German Trade & Invest in 2015, the year before the Brexit referendum. Pro-Brexit economists say such data ignore the fact British corporate investment boomed in the years before mid-2016, and it was bound to slow. British firms are also waiting to hear how - or even if - London intends to compete with the enormous green energy and tech subsidies pitched by the United States and EU. At Farrat, the effects of Brexit are insidious, running beyond decisions over investments, said Farrell, describing a sense of unease felt towards British firms from potential foreign clients, worn down by years of political turmoil"People are nervous.

Persons: Brexit, Oliver Farrell, Andy Burnham, Burnham, it's, capitalising, Steve Connor, Connor, Jeremy Hunt, Farrell, Dave, Subrah Krishnan Harihara, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg, David Clarke Organizations: European Union, Reuters, German Trade, Invest, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Reuters Graphics, Labour Party, EU, Creative Concern, European Commission, Manchester Chambers of Commerce, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Britain, Manchester, Germany, English, Europe's, Netherlands, France, United States, England's, London, Birmingham, Greater Manchester, Farrat, EU, Warwick, West Midlands

☆ Almost one in three UK women expect to end careers early - poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The British Standards Institution, which commissioned the survey, said the results showed the need for employers and the government to take steps to help older women remain in the labour market. Caring responsibilities and a lack of flexibility in work were both cited as barriers to work by about one in five respondents. Some 32% of British women aged 50 to 64 were not in work or seeking work in the first quarter of this year, compared with 22% of similarly aged men, official data shows. For men and women aged 25 to 34, the comparable rates were 16% and 8%. The BSI did not survey men to see how their reasons for leaving the labour market as they age compared to women's.

Persons: Anne Hayes, Hayes, William Schomberg, David Milliken Organizations: British Standards Institution, Sectors, BSI, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ UK mortgage rates rise again, turning screw on homeowners and buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - Major British lenders on Thursday announced another increase in mortgage rates offered via brokers, pushing many products above the 6% mark in painful news for many homeowners and potential buyers. Barclays (BARC.L), NatWest (NWG.L) and Virgin Money (VMUK.L) informed brokers that rates on many mortgage offerings will rise again on Friday, according to emails seen by Reuters. "As mortgage rates continue to rise, the property market is being pushed further towards a cliff edge and there's no real help in sight," mortgage broker Lewis Shaw of Shaw Financial Services said. Two-year swap rates - a key determinant of mortgage borrowing costs - have soared by 0.83 percentage points over the course of June. Mortgage rates of 6% represent the same financial burden from repayments as they did in the late 1980s, even though mortgage rates were around 13% then, according to housing market analyst Neal Hudson, founder of consultancy BuiltPlace.

Persons: Lewis Shaw, Andrew Goodwin, Liz Truss, Neal Hudson, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: Bank of England, Barclays, NatWest, Virgin, Reuters, Nationwide Building Society, Shaw Financial Services, Oxford, Oxford Economics, Thomson

☆ Squeezed UK households tap into savings at record pace
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Unsecured lending to consumers rose by 1.144 billion pounds ($1.45 billion) in net terms last month after a 1.513 billion-pound increase in April. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to net consumer credit lending of 1.5 billion pounds in May. Thursday's data pointed to mixed signals from the housing market, with mortgage rates for new borrowers soaring past 6% this month in many cases. The value of net mortgage lending contracted in May by 92 million pounds, following a 1.466 billion-pound fall in April. It marked the first back-to-back falls in net mortgage lending since records began in 1986.

Persons: BoE, Ashley Webb, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, Paul Heywood, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg, Emelia Organizations: Bank of England, Savings and Investment, Consumer, Capital Economics, Reuters, Equifax, Thomson

☆ UK showing signs of persistent inflation, BoE's Bailey says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SINTRA, Portugal, June 28 (Reuters) - Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said last week's rise in interest rates reflected a resilient economy and unexpectedly persistent inflation, sticking closely to his message after the BoE raised rates to 5% from 4.5%. "The cumulative data - both particularly on the labour market and on the inflation release we had, which to us showed clear signs of persistence - caused us to conclude that we had to make really quite a strong move," Bailey said at a European Central Bank forum in Sintra, Portugal. Bailey added that in his view the unexpected half-point rate rise was preferable to two consecutive quarter-point moves. Reporting by Balazs Koranyi and Francesco Canepa; writing by David Milliken; editing by William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Bailey, BoE, Bailey, Balazs Koranyi, Francesco Canepa, David Milliken, William Schomberg Organizations: Bank of England, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: SINTRA, Portugal, Sintra , Portugal

☆ UK shoppers boost spending again despite inflation's squeeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But Friday's retail sales figures showed that, at least for now, British consumers were weathering the cost-of-living storm. "But our view is still that the growing drag on activity from higher interest rates will eventually tip the economy into recession, generating a 0.5% peak to trough fall in real consumer spending." The statistics agency said the one-off holiday to celebrate the king's coronation was not factored into its seasonal adjustments, meaning it helped to boost the sales volumes reading. Retail sales volumes in May were 2.1% lower than a year earlier. The Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a fall of 2.6% in sales volumes on an annual basis.

Persons: Sterling, King Charles, Ruth Gregory, Samuel Tombs, Heather Bovill, William Schomberg, William James, Catherine Evans Organizations: Bank of, Bank of England, U.S ., Office, National Statistics, Capital Economics, ONS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ UK economy stumbles but price pressures remain high
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) - Britain's economy showed signs of a slowdown this month but inflation pressures stayed high, according to a survey published a day after the Bank of England raised interest rates sharply and said it was ready to do more to tame price growth. The preliminary or 'flash' survey showed Britain's services sector grew at its slowest pace in three months while the manufacturing sector contracted by the most in six months. The BoE is expected to continue raising borrowing costs as it tries to tackle inflation which held at 8.7% in May. The PMI survey showed services firms increased their prices sharply once again this month although a bit less steeply than in May. By contrast, manufacturers cut the prices they charged for the first time in more than seven years.

Persons: Chris Williamson, BoE, Williamson, William Schomberg, Susan Fenton Organizations: Bank of England, P Global Market Intelligence, PMI, Companies, Thomson

☆ UK's Hunt says banks agree to ease mortgage payments strain
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said he had agreed new measures with banks and other mortgage lenders on Friday to help homeowners who struggle to meet the cost of fast-rising interest rates. "We agreed some very important things for people who are worried about their rates going up," Hunt said, a day after the Bank of England raised interest rates to 5.0% to fight high inflation. The measures include allowing people who reduce their payments, such as by extending the period of their mortgage or moving to interest-only, to go back to their original package within six months with no impact on their credit rating. Another measure sought to help people at risk of losing their home, with banks agreeing to a minimum 12-month period before a repossession without consent takes place, Hunt said after meeting representatives of the lenders. Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Muvija M; writing by William Schomberg; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Kylie MacLellan, William Schomberg, William James Our Organizations: Bank of England, Thomson Locations: British

☆ UK net debt passes 100% of GDP for first time since 1961
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - Britain's public sector net debt surpassed 100% of gross domestic product in May as borrowing came in higher than expected, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday. Public sector net debt, excluding that of state-controlled banks, hit 2.567 trillion pounds ($3.28 trillion), equivalent to 100.1% of gross domestic product. That represented the first time that debt stood above 100% of GDP since 1961 although it was temporarily recorded as passing that threshold during the COVID-19 pandemic before being revised lower. The ONS said government borrowing in May stood at 20.045 billion pounds. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to public sector net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, of 19.5 billion pounds.

Persons: William Schomberg, David Milliken Organizations: National Statistics, Public, ONS, Thomson

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast that the annual consumer price inflation rate would drop to 8.4% in May, moving further away from October's 41-year high of 11.1%. "May's CPI figures ratchet up the pressure on the Monetary Policy Committee to increase Bank Rate substantially further over the coming months," Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said. Food and drink price inflation dropped slightly to 18.3% from April's 19.0%. The BoE is widely expected to raise interest rates on Thursday to 4.75% from 4.5%. After Wednesday's data, markets fully priced in interest rates reaching 6% by December - up from around a 50% chance of such a move on Tuesday.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Samuel Tombs, Sterling, BoE, Grant Fitzner, . Paul Dales, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Bank of England, REUTERS, Bank of, Reuters, Monetary, Committee, Pantheon, U.S ., National Statistics, ., Capital Economics, Bank, Fed, ECB, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Bank of England

☆ Explainer: Why is inflation so high in the UK?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Although down from 11.1% last October, it left the country with the highest inflation rate among the Group of Seven advanced economies. Higher core inflation is seen as a sign that price growth is more likely to remain persistently high. Another gauge of underlying price pressure that is watched closely by the BoE - services price inflation - also rose. WHY IS FOOD INFLATION SO HIGH IN THE UK? Industry data published on Tuesday showed British grocery inflation eased slightly for the third month in a row in June.

Persons: BoE, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, William Schomberg, Catherine Evans Organizations: Bank of England, Reuters, Britain, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, European Union, OF, Investors, Thomson Locations: United States, Europe, Germany, Britain, China, Japan, Ukraine, London, Brussels

That threw a new curveball at UK markets, as just last week economists polled by Reuters had unanimously expected the BoE to raise by 25 basis points. I would not be surprised if we see a 50-bp rate rise from the Bank of England tomorrow." Other analysts said delivering a larger rate rise on Thursday risked further undermining the BoE's messaging. Bets on where BoE rate hikes might peak rose as high as 6% on Wednesday. The rise in yields hit UK housebuilders (.FTNMX402020), which were down as much as 3.1%.

Persons: BoE, Melanie Baker, Liz, Nick Rees, Richard McGuire, Rabobank's McGuire, Yoruk Bahceli, William Schomberg, Dhara Ranasinghe, Danilo Masoni, Alun John, Peter Graff Organizations: Bank of England, Reuters, Royal London Asset Management, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Wednesday's, MPC, FX, Monex, Rabobank, Sterling, Thomson Locations: Monex Europe

☆ UK food production costs fall for first time since 2016: Lloyds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - British food manufacturers reported the first drop in their production costs since 2016 in May as lower commodity and energy prices and cheaper shipping outweighed a jump in wage bills, a Lloyds Bank report showed on Tuesday. "It will still take some time before we see the benefit in terms of shelf prices," said Annabel Finlay, a managing director at Lloyds Bank. Food price inflation, as measured by Britain's Office for National Statistics, hit its highest since 1977 in April at 19.1% and only eased fractionally in May. Last week Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket chain, said food price inflation had peaked and it and others have said they are cutting the prices of some foodstuffs and freezing others. The Lloyds Bank report is based on an analysis of S&P Purchasing Managers' Index data covering around 1,300 companies.

Persons: Annabel Finlay, Andrew Bailey, David Milliken, William Schomberg Organizations: Lloyds Bank, Manufacturers, United Nations, Britain's, National Statistics, Tesco, Bank of England, P, Thomson Locations: British

The Bank of England in February removed its explicit guidance and tied decisions to inflation data. The Bank of Japan, by contrast, still battling to raise perennially weak inflation, has left the core part of its guidance intact with a pledge to "patiently" sustain loose policies. The European Central Bank says it has adopted a "meeting-by-meeting" approach with "a strong preference against returning to outright forward guidance on policy rates." If the projections show the policy rate moving up later this year, officials will likely face questions if they do as expected and hold rates steady at the June meeting. If the rate is not seen moving up, they will face questions about not being responsive to recent data showing strong inflation despite pledging to be "data dependent."

Persons: Jerome Powell, BOE, Andrew Bailey, Powell, Ben Bernanke, Bernanke, Gregory Daco, Louis, James Bullard, Data's, Howard Schneider, Dan Burns, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Canada, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Louis Fed, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Central

☆ US and UK back new 'Atlantic Declaration' for economic cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON/LONDON, June 8 (Reuters) - Britain and the United States backed a new "Atlantic Declaration" on Thursday for greater cooperation on pressing economic challenges in areas like clean energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence. The joint declaration described the partnership as the "first of its kind" in covering the broad spectrum of the two countries' economic, technological, commercial and trade relations. Under the plan, Britain and the United States will strengthen their supply chains, develop technologies of the future and invest in one another's industries, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said. The two nations will also begin negotiations on a critical minerals agreement, which would allow some UK firms to access tax credits available under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. Britain and the United States will also co-operate on telecoms technology including 5G and 6G and quantum technologies, the Atlantic Declaration said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Joe Biden, Biden, Trevor Hunnicutt, Alistair Smout, Sachin Ravikumar, William Schomberg, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, United, British, Britain, Sunak, U.S, Thomson Locations: LONDON, Britain, United States, Washington, U.S

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