An ambitious transatlantic initiative seeks to shape the future of international economic and security policy
WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL11, 2025 — New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and Institute for Free Trade hosted a series of high-level meetings in Washington, D.C., this week with senior U.S. lawmakers, presidential administration officials, foreign diplomats, leading academics, and policy experts for wide-ranging discussions focused not only on the evolving contours of U.S. tariff policy but also the potential for deeper strategic economic alignment between the United States and the United Kingdom.
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim, a senior director at New Lines Institute, led a series of discussions with key members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade; and other lawmakers actively engaged in shaping U.S. trade and industrial policy frameworks. Key topics included the future of Section 301 tariffs, modernization of the Generalized System of Preferences, and the intersection of tariffs with national security and global supply chain resilience.
In parallel, senior officials at the Office of the United States Trade Representative, including several policy directors, were engaged in discussions on the administration’s trade enforcement agenda, multilateral reform at the World Trade Organization, and strategic economic statecraft in the face of rising global competition.
Key outcomes from dialogues include the possibility of establishing a “Gold Standard Partnership” between the U.K. and U.S. — a comprehensive framework for economic and strategic cooperation. Extending beyond traditional trade in goods and services to include robust collaboration in science, technology, and energy innovation, such a framework could serve as a model for values-based international economic partnerships in the 21st century grounded in shared democratic principles and mutual prosperity.
British parliamentarians were also represented, including Lord Daniel Hannan, president of the Institute for Free Trade and a member of the House of Lords, as well as Lord Jon Moynihan, a leading voice for free market policy and global economic reform. These transatlantic discussions highlighted opportunities to align regulatory standards, drive joint innovation initiatives, and reassert global leadership in free and fair trade.
This ambitious engagement series underscores New Lines Institute’s mission to foster informed, strategic policymaking through dialogue, research, and global collaboration.
Speakers
Rep. Jim Himes (D) – Chair of the National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
Rep. Richard Hudson (R) – Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. Adrian Smith (R) – Committee on Ways and Means
Rep. Max Miller (R) – Committee on Ways and Means
Rep. Carol Miller (R) – Committee on Ways and Means
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (R) – Committee on Ways and Means
Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy (R) – Committee on Ways and Means
Rep. Brad Schneider (D) – Committee on Ways and Means, Committee on Foreign Affairs
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D) – Committee on Ways and Means
Rep. Adrian Smith (R) – Committee on Ways and Means
Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R) – Committee on Ways and Means
The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt – Former Secretary of State for Defense
Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan (MP) – Chair of the APPG on Europe, Co-Chair of the APPG on Poland, Vice Chair of the APPG on Patient Safety
Saqib Bhatti (MP) – Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport
Dr. Neil Shastri-Hurst (MP) – PPS to the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Bradley Thomas (MP) – PPS for the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Secretary and Net Zero
Fred Thomas (MP) – Co-Chair of the APPG on Defense Technology, Vice Chair of the APPG on Boxing, Officer for Defense Committee in the House of Commons
Matt Vickers (MP) – Shadow Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, and also Illegal Immigration
Lord Daniel Hannan – President of the Institute for Free Trade, Conservative MEP (1999-2020)
Lord Jon Moynihan – Former CEO and Executive Chairman of PA Consulting Group
For more information or media inquiries, contact: [email protected].
