Welcome to the August BABN Policy and Trade Update.

July brought a significant change in UK politics, with Andy Burnham succeeding Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and moving quickly to reshape both his cabinet and the machinery of government – including the abolition of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and an early focus on cost-of-living measures.

On the trade side, the US Trade Representative brought into effect new Section 301 tariffs on goods linked to forced labour as the temporary Section 122 duties expired, with the UK placed in the lowest tariff band. The change marks a further evolution in US trade policy and a continued reminder of the importance for BAB and partners to advocate for stability and predictability for transatlantic business.

This period has also been a busy one for BAB’s work on behalf of the Network. We published a new paper making the case for UK technology sovereignty through deeper transatlantic partnership, alongside a joint report with EY highlighting six key trends shaping UK-US bilateral investment. We also announced the winners of our 2026 Transatlantic Growth Awards.

See below for a breakdown of policy and trade headlines and our published works.

View the full August BABN Policy and Trade Update here