Donald Trump has said he thinks the UK and US could end up with a “real trade deal” that would make tariffs unnecessary.
US tariffs on British steel imports are looming and the US president had previously hinted he could target the UK further.
At a press conference after White House talks, Mr Trump said Sir Keir Starmer had “tried” to persuade him not to impose trade tariffs on the UK.
The US president added: “He was working hard, I’ll tell you that. He earned whatever the hell they pay him over there, but he tried.
“I think there’s a very good chance that in the case of these two great, friendly countries, I think we could very well end up with a real trade deal where the tariffs wouldn’t be necessary. We’ll see.”