The United Kingdom’s diplomatic strategy of rolling out the red carpet for Donald Trump has run headlong into a red line of American economic nationalism. The lavish state visit, designed to charm and persuade, has failed to shift a US trade policy that is proving to be unyieldingly rigid in its “America First” principles.
The UK’s approach was based on the traditional diplomatic playbook: strengthen personal relationships and build goodwill at the highest levels, assuming this will translate into favorable policy. The red carpet, the banquet with the King, and the inclusion of top CEOs were all part of this classic charm offensive.
However, this strategy hit a wall because the Trump administration has drawn a clear red line. That line is the onshoring of manufacturing. The policy appears to be that friendly gestures and historical alliances are welcome, but they will not be accepted as a substitute for tangible investment in the US economy. No amount of pomp and circumstance can cross that line.
The threat of a 100% tariff on UK pharmaceuticals is the direct result of this collision. The UK offered friendship; the US responded by pointing to the red line and noting that the UK’s pharma industry was on the wrong side of it.
This leaves UK diplomacy at a difficult crossroads. The old tools of soft power and high-level schmoozing have been shown to be ineffective against this particular challenge. To get what it wants, the UK may be forced to abandon the red carpet and instead engage with the hard, transactional reality of the red line.