Welcome to the January BABN Policy and Trade Update.

As the year drew to a close, the UK government saw the submission date for its Industrial Strategy Green Paper. BAB released its response to the Green Paper, providing recommendations to support a more internationally competitive UK economy. In the US, President-elect Trump had been busy filling his cabinet positions as he prepares for inauguration day. 

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

Follow BAB on X and LinkedIn

Shaping the Future: President-elect Trump Assembles Cabinet

As of this month, President-elect Trump has announced nominees for all major Cabinet positions in preparation for his inauguration on January 20, 2025. These appointments are undergoing the confirmation process, and some nominees may face difficult Senate hearings.



• Secretary of State: Marco Rubio
• Secretary of the Treasury: Scott Bessent
• Secretary of Defense: Pete Hegseth
• Attorney General: Pam Bondi
• Secretary of Commerce: Howard Lutnick
• Secretary of Health and Human Services: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Scott Turner
• Secretary of Transportation: Sean Duffy
• Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright
• Secretary of Education: Linda McMahon
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Ronny Jackson
• Secretary of Homeland Security: Kristi Noem 

Additionally, President-elect Trump has appointed Jamieson Greer as U.S. Trade Representative.

US-UK IP Working Group Letter

2 December 2024

What happened: The second annual US-UK IP was held on October 21st in London and co-hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce and BritishAmerican Business with Adam Williams, Chief Executive and Comptroller General, at the UK IP Office. The meeting highlighted the shared commitment between the US and the UK to intellectual property and provided actionable recommendations to continue to advance IP protection on a global scale. Please find the readout of the joint statement issued here.

What's next: The US Chamber of Commerce and BritishAmerican Business are coordinating the third US-UK IP Working Group Meeting to be held in Washington, DC in April 2025 that will host a dialogue between with USPTO Deputy Director Derrick Brent and Adam Williams of the UKIPO. 

More information: For more detailed information, please contact Shahad Almobarak (salmobarak@babinc.org).

BAB's Submission to UK Industrial Strategy Consultation

25 November 2024

What it is: The industrial strategy is the UK government’s proposed 10-year plan for the economy. It aims to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the high-growth sectors and drive long-term economic growth. The final industrial strategy will be published in spring 2025, alongside the multi-year spending review.

What happened: The UK government recently launched a public consultation on “Invest 2035: The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy”, aimed at shaping a long-term strategy to drive economic growth, enhance global competitiveness, and attract investment. BAB, representing the transatlantic business community, responded to this consultation, offering insights and recommendations to support the UK’s ambitions. Key recommendations are summarized below:

• Skills
• BAB emphasizes the need to prepare a workforce equipped with the skills required for emerging industries, such as technology, life sciences, and renewable energy.
• Stronger partnerships between government, businesses, and educational institutions are necessary to align training programs with industry requirements.
• Simplified immigration policies and visa pathways are essential for attracting and retaining highly skilled talent from around the world.
• Competition
• BAB highlights the need for policies that support open and competitive markets, ensuring innovation and consumer choice.
• By maintaining competitive tax policies and reducing barriers to entry, the UK can continue to attract significant FDI, particularly from the US.
• BAB advocates for reducing trade barriers and streamlining processes to make the UK an attractive hub for global businesses.
• Special focus on creating a level playing field for SMEs to compete and thrive within the UK and internationally.
• Regulation
• BAB advocates for a regulatory framework that is consistent, proportionate, and predictable to reduce uncertainty and encourage investment.
• Tailored regulatory strategies for high-growth sectors like aerospace, defense, and digital technology are crucial to addressing specific challenges.
• Harmonization with international standards for data privacy and digital trade will facilitate cross-border commerce and innovation.
• Sustainability
• BAB supports embedding sustainability into the industrial strategy, particularly in energy, transport, and infrastructure development.
• Encouraging innovation in areas such as renewable energy, electrification, and carbon capture technologies is key to achieving net-zero targets.
• Tax incentives and funding for sustainable practices will help businesses transition to a low-carbon economy while maintaining competitiveness.

More information: Read BAB’s full response here. For more detailed information, please contact Shahad Almobarak (salmobarak@babinc.org).

Skills England Letter

19 November 2024

What it is: BAB submitted a letter to Richard Pennycook, CEO of Skills England with recommendations relating to the formation of new skills body, which is expected to launch officially next year. The letter outlines the following priorities to the UK government:

1. Organizational considerations

a. Cross-departmental alignment

b. Alignment across the four nations and English regions

2. Best practices from and alignment with business needs

3. Formulation of the Growth and Skills Levy/Funding for higher level apprenticeships

Overview: Skills England is a new arms-length body that will bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade. It will play a critical part in the government’s mission to drive growth across the country, supporting people to get better jobs and improve their standard of living, and support the upcoming Industrial Strategy.

More information: The letter can be found here. For more detailed information, please contact Sophie Rahemanji (srahemanji@babinc.org).

UK Trade Strategy

17 January 2025

Overview: DBT is developing a Trade Strategy, which will set out how we can achieve long-term sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth through trade. The Trade Strategy is looking to consider the following questions:

• How can we facilitate trade for businesses and provide practical tools to support them to drive growth through trade now and in the future? 
• How can we build the right partnerships internationally through trade mechanisms to promote growth?
• How should the UK operate in the international context to support and protect businesses?

This Trade Strategy is part of the government’s broader economic vision. Since coming into office, the Labour government has prioritized aligning its Industrial Strategy with its Trade Strategy to create a cohesive and pro-business environment. This approach was underscored by the launch of the Industrial Strategy Green Paper in October, which promises to build on the UK’s strengths to foster growth and innovation. DBT will also be developing a Small Business Strategy in 2025.

Get involved: The closing date for submissions is 17 January 2025. Submissions will be accepted via email to
tradestrategyengagement@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

More information: For more detailed information, please contact Francesca Lentini (flentini@babinc.org).

New Business Growth Service

7 December 2024

Overview: Businesses across the UK will be able to get quicker and easier help, support and advice, thanks to a new service that will help them grow and thrive, announced by the Business Secretary to mark Small Business Saturday last month. 

• New Business Growth Service will make it easier and quicker for SMEs to find government advice and support all under one roof 
• Service will streamline the government’s offer to small firms, saving them time and money 
• Comes as part of a week of government and private sector action to help small businesses grow in the run up to Small Business Saturday

Why it matters: Small businesses consistently say that they find the business support landscape fragmented and complex, with only 26% of UK SME employers reporting in 2023 to have sought external advice or information in the last year. 

The Business Growth Service has been designed to address this, offering a sleek, UK-wide business support system with a revamped web offer, launching in the first half of 2025. It will be developed and will work in partnership with small businesses, local and devolved governments across the UK, with locally led delivery at its core, to ensure the service provides the information and resources smaller firms need from government. 

Inspired by successful business support agencies internationally, the Business Growth Service will be an integral part of the Small Business Strategy that will be published in 2025. This will also support DBT’s approach to creating a pro-business environment through the Industrial Strategy and the government’s growth mission.

The average small business owner spends over 33 hours every month on internal business admin – valuable time which the government aims to decrease through the new streamlined service which will signpost small firms to practical help. 

This, alongside a raft of other measures announced in the run up to Small Business Saturday, confirms the government’s commitment to the nation’s small firms and self-employed individuals who are vital to wealth creation and economic growth.  

More information: For more detailed information, please contact Francesca Lentini (flentini@babinc.org).

Apply to Attend the 2025 SelectUSA Investment Summit

11-14 May 2025

Overview: The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest profile event in the United States to facilitate business investment by connecting thousands of investors, companies, economic development organizations (EDOs), and industry experts to make deals happen.

The 2025 SelectUSA Investment Summit returns to National Harbor, Maryland from May 11 - 14, 2025 to establish new connections and opportunities to grow through investing in the United States.

What to expect:

• Plenary sessions, armchair discussions, panels, academy sessions, pitching sessions, and programs on SelectUSA's traditional agenda.
• Explore the Exhibition Hall featuring hundreds of EDOs, service providers and industry experts.
• Connect with representatives from 50+ states and territories, companies from 90+ markets, industry experts, and government officials to make investment deals happen.
• Gather advice and information from policy and industry experts in 100+ sessions providing actionable instruction on everything from developing a workforce to understanding incentives.
• Form valuable partnerships with industry partners from across the United States.

Get involved: SelectUSA welcomes investors representing international businesses of all sizes that are seeking to establish or expand operations in the United States, as well as U.S. economic development organizations, representatives from U.S. state and local governments, service providers, and associations facilitating direct investment into the United States to apply here.