Skip to content

New Lines Institute engages U.S. and UK policymakers on future of tariff policy and strategic economic partnerships

 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].

Related Articles

China-Middle East Connectivity: Can Chinese Projects Close Economic Gaps?

China-Middle East Connectivity: Can Chinese Projects Close Economic Gaps?

Read the Dossier Here A key barrier to Middle Eastern economic growth is the lack of economic connectivity that exists

Taiwan’s Semiconductor Sustainability and Global Implications 

Taiwan’s Semiconductor Sustainability and Global Implications 

The island’s almost complete reliance on imported energy makes the power-hungry sector vulnerable to disruption. To reduce the risk to Taiwan’s economy, and the worldwide tech supply chain, government policy and industry practices must evolve.

An Attack in Iraq Sends a Message: Closed To Western Energy Business 

An Attack in Iraq Sends a Message: Closed To Western Energy Business 

Iraq is stuck in the middle of a ruthless geopolitical competition between the United States and Iran that holds back its economic and energy development potential. There is room, however, for a recalibration of their zero-sum competition that could benefit all concerned and perhaps open the door to a rapprochement.

The Critical Role of Saudi Energy

The Critical Role of Saudi Energy

In this episode of the Contours Podcast, host Eugene Chausovsky talks with New Lines researcher Shahad Turkistani about the central role Saudi Arabia plays in the global energy picture, the future of the kingdom’s renewable energy diversification efforts, and how the country factors into U.S.-China competition.