Kemi Badenoch, Britain’s foreign secretary, praised Ron DeSantis for “getting things done” as the pair signed the biggest US-UK trade deal since Brexit.
The deal will give British companies better access to Florida, the fourth largest state economy in the US, and the fifteenth largest economy in the world.
With the Biden administration currently not pursuing national free trade agreements, London is pursuing state-by-state agreements.
This was the seventh and by far the largest state deal to date and follows an initial meeting between DeSantis and Badenoch in London in April.
Badenoch, who signed the deal in Jacksonville, Florida, told Dailymail.com: “This is the next best thing we can do at the state level, and certainly the biggest thing we’ve ever done.
“I’m particularly proud of it because it started when I met Governor DeSantis in London when he came on his trade mission. So we decided to do one and we actually went through with it. It’s also the most efficient we’ve ever done. It tries to solve problems specific to Great Britain and Florida.”
Kemi Badenoch signed a trade deal with Florida
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Britain felt like a ‘second home’ when he went there
Badenoch refrained from commenting in detail on the US election, where DeSantis currently sits second in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination, but far behind Donald Trump.
But she said, “I really like Governor DeSantis, I found him very warm and engaging, and we had a lot in common when we had our first meeting. I don’t think it’s my place to comment too much on American politics. Naturally, we welcome any government that wants to conclude an FTA (free trade agreement) with Great Britain.
“I think the fact that Governor DeSantis has been so proactive in helping us get this done is really positive.”
Florida’s $1.1 trillion economy is about the same size as Spain’s.
Key beneficiaries of the new deal will include the space, AI, financial technology and insurance sectors, and it will also promote research sharing among academic institutions.
DeSantis praised Badenoch for pursuing an anti-woke agenda in Britain.
He said: ‘The minister and I have also done work on our own ground to ensure that our institutions and our society are governed by sound principles and not by the bizarre ideology that we see.’
DeSantis added that Britain is a “second home” to all Americans and that he was “proud” to sign the trade deal because of the “special relationship.”
Well over a million British tourists visited Florida last year, including Disney World
A SpaceX rocket takes off from Cape Canaveral, Florida
He said: ‘If you look at how our country came to be, all the important things that we take for granted and that shaped our constitution, our view of the rule of law, were all informed by our founding fathers, what they consider to be Englishmen.
“You see that when you’re there, there’s a reason why we have a special relationship.”
In outlining the trade deal, DeSantis said Britain is the largest foreign investor in Florida, and British companies support 70,000 jobs in the state.
Britain is Florida’s top trading partner in Europe and has grown 190 percent in the past five years, he added.
Florida welcomed 1.1 million tourists from Great Britain last year.
DeSantis said the deal – known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – will prioritize areas such as space research, aerospace manufacturing, medical technology, financial technology, transportation infrastructure, artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
“In addition, we will encourage UK-based companies to expand their footprint in the Florida market,” he said.
“Florida and Britain will also connect researchers, universities and students to further support academic success and research sharing.”
Ron DeSantis comes in second to Donald Trump in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination
Badenoch said she would speak with California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday as Britain pursues a similar deal there.
Other states being looked at include Texas.
Britain is also making progress in talks with the US federal government on a broader free trade deal, she said.
She has had “very, very good conversations” with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and “I’m doing well,” she said.
In June, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Biden announced the Atlantic Declaration, an action plan to deepen economic, technological and commercial ties.
However, the free trade deal that Britain had hoped for under the previous Trump administration remains a distant prospect now that Biden has suspended talks.