Hi John,
With Donald Trump in the White House, our government has once again raised the prospect of a trade deal with the USA.(1) They are hoping to avoid the levying of tariffs which Trump is threatening left, right and centre. But embarking on trade talks would be a grave mistake – and one which we need to halt.
We know that both UK food standards and the NHS would likely be ‘on the list’ for Trump’s administration.(2) As part of any trade talks, they would push the interests of Big Agriculture, Big Pharma and Big Tech, demanding access to British markets for food imports made to lower standards than would be acceptable here, and for access to NHS contracts and data.
The last time Trump was president, we fought off the prospect of a US trade deal. By mobilising in large numbers, and joining with others across society, we made it too controversial for a succession of prime ministers to advance the talks. I even wrote a book about it!(3) We can fight this off again – but it will take a similar effort.
Can you take the first step by signing our petition to say no to a trade deal with Trump?
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Our own government might want to avoid controversial issues like chlorinated chicken and the NHS – but we have no idea whether they will be able to. What’s more, they do want a trade deal to focus on so-called ‘digital trade’. But with the Big Tech oligarchy standing right behind Trump, this is no less dangerous.
We already know that Big Tech is pushing back hard against taxes on their incomprehensible wealth. And they are pushing back on regulations necessary to protect us and to protect our public services.(4)
But we must have the space to tax and regulate these corporate titans, including the newly emerging AI economy. It makes no sense at all to give Elon Musk and his ilk extra powers to bully us.
Make no mistake, any trade deal with the US would represent a huge shift in power towards the gigantic businesses surrounding President Trump. We need to stop it.
Can you join our campaign against a trade deal with Donald Trump?
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Our trade campaign is already pushing the UK to end the system of corporate courts built into trade deals with countries across the global south. Now we need to make sure we resist this new corporate power grab, spearheaded by Donald Trump.
Thanks for everything you're doing,
Nick Dearden,
Director, Global Justice Now
Notes
1. UK’s Starmer wants speedy Donald Trump trade talks, Politico, 17 January 2025
2. Hormone-pumped beef back on the menu for Trump in trade talks, iNews, 26 January 2025
3. Trade Secrets: The truth about the US trade deal and how we can stop it, November 2020
4. Trump’s war on tech taxes is a big problem for Britain, Politico, 25 January 2025
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At Global Justice Now we’re proud to be outspoken
We take on issues that others are afraid to touch and we don’t make compromises.
By joining us, you can fight for regulations that put people before profit, and build public pressure against corporate greed.
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