The UK government is billing it as a historic step: a new US–UK tech agreement covering artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, and telecoms. It is on the verge of signing a 'ground-breaking tech agreement' with the United States during President Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain next week, Bloomberg reported.
While details are under wraps, London’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the deal aims to boost businesses and consumers across both sides of the Atlantic.
“Cutting-edge technology such as AI and quantum computing will transform our lives,” Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, who took charge only this month, said in a statement. “That includes new ways to treat diseases as well as improvements to public services.”
Big Tech CEOs in Trump’s entourage
Trump, on his second state visit to the UK, will be accompanied by a heavyweight delegation of American executives. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman plan to pledge billions of dollars into UK data center projects, according to people cited by Bloomberg.
US cloud player CoreWeave, which went public this year, is also expected to unveil a UK investment. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has separately lined up £500 million ($678 million) for Britain’s data center market. CEO Larry Fink is slated to join Trump on the trip.
The US and UK already cooperate closely on AI, semiconductors, telecoms, and quantum. The upcoming agreement is meant to formalize and deepen that tech corridor.
Wall Street piles in: £1.25 billion commitments
The deals are not limited to tech. On Saturday, London announced more than £1.25 billion ($1.69 billion) in fresh investment from American financial firms ahead of Trump’s arrival, Reuters reported.
- Bank of America will launch its first Northern Ireland operation, creating up to 1,000 jobs in Belfast.
- Citigroup is committing £1.1 billion across UK operations, expanding further into Northern Ireland.
- S&P Global will pump over £4 million into Manchester, supporting 200 new roles.
- BlackRock plans to allocate £7 billion to UK markets in 2026 and has opened a new Edinburgh office, nearly doubling its workforce there.
“These investments reflect the strength of our enduring golden corridor with one of our closest trading partners,” said Trade Minister Peter Kyle. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves added the commitments would “kickstart the growth that is essential to putting money in working people’s pockets.”
In total, London says the deals add up to £20 billion in trade between the UK and US.
Ukraine enters the frame: minerals for aid
Trump’s Europe trip also overlaps with another transatlantic bargain. Ukraine and the US are pushing ahead with a minerals deal signed in April, giving Washington preferential access to Kyiv’s critical mineral projects in exchange for investment, Reuters reported.
Ukraine’s economy minister Oleksiy Sobolev said site visits with the US International Development Finance Corporation are underway to shortlist three pilot projects in the next 18 months.
The deal is structured so that half the revenues from new mineral extraction flow into a joint fund, with profits split between Kyiv and Washington. Beyond minerals, the fund is expected to support energy and infrastructure rebuilding.
Ukraine holds deposits of 22 of the 34 minerals deemed critical by the EU for sectors like defense, electronics, and green energy. With its economy still battered by Russia’s 2022 invasion, Kyiv sees the partnership as both a lifeline and a way to lock in continued US support.
Why it matters
Trump’s London visit is more than ceremony. It’s a three-way signal: to Wall Street, to Big Tech, and to Ukraine.
- For the UK, it’s a chance to reposition itself as the transatlantic hub for AI and data infrastructure post-Brexit.
- For US corporates, it’s about locking into new markets while aligning with Washington’s strategic push in tech and energy.
- And for Trump, it’s about reframing foreign aid, particularly to Ukraine, as investment that pays America back.
If the pact lands as advertised, London and Washington could be laying the groundwork for a new era where tech corridors and minerals pipelines matter as much as military alliances.
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