All eyes on LA ahead of largest ever UK trade mission to the US

• Following the successful State Visit of His Majesty King Charles III, Greater Together LA will build on positive momentum to convene hundreds of business and cultural leaders from both countries.
• With investment stock between both countries already reaching around £1.2 trillion and supporting over 2.6 million jobs in UK and US, Greater Together LA will drive jobs at home through commercial opportunities abroad.
• Follows removal of US tariffs on UK-made whisky and new £300 million investment in UK by AstraZeneca announced this week

Hundreds of UK business leaders will travel to the US later this month as part of the largest ever UK trade mission to the country, building on the success of the State Visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen this week.

The State Visit culminated with the US announcing the removal of tariffs on UK-made whisky – an industry worth around £1bn in exports to the US each year and supporting thousands of jobs across the UK. The removal of tariffs builds on the historic agreement secured by the Prime Minister last year, which has saved millions of pounds for British exporters.

It also follows a £300 million investment from pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, announced this week, with the firm and the UK Government attributing the investment to the pharmaceutical partnership between the UK and the US struck in December 2025.

The partnership makes the UK the first country in the world to secure 0% tariffs on pharmaceutical exports to the US, with UK pharmaceutical exports to the US worth at least £5 billion a year.

Greater Together LA will be led by Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle and will run from 18-22 May, bringing together policymakers, business leaders, investors and creative minds from both countries to drive real commercial outcomes across sectors.

Co-hosted by Sir Lucian Grainge (CEO, Universal Music Group) and Sir Jony Ive (Founder, LoveFrom), delegates will hear first-hand insights of headline voices from key sectors of the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy. Speakers include: Sean Doyle (CEO, British Airways), Cindy Rose OBE (CEO, WPP), Robert Thomson (CEO, News Corp), Mira Murati (CEO, Thinking Machines Lab), two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora, Sir Paul Smith, Simon Cowell and many more.

Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said:

This relationship is one of the most important economic partnerships in the world, and this week’s removal of tariffs on whisky demonstrates that – it’s a tangible win for British industry and for UK-US relations.

Greater Together LA is all about turning the strength of this relationship into real commercial outcomes, and I can’t wait to get out there with British businesses and show American partners exactly what the UK has to offer.

Greater Together LA will celebrate the strength and potential of the UK-US relationship. With investment stock reaching around £1.2 trillion in each other’s economies and supporting over 2.6 million jobs in each country, the relationship is vital for driving the economic growth at the heart of the government’s Plan for Change.

The government’s eight Modern Industrial Strategy sectors will be represented by senior business leaders from across the UK, showcasing where this government is backing industry with a deliberately more active state.

Ewan Venters, Executive Chairman Paul Smith and Chair of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland Campaign Private Sector Council said:

The private sector has a vital role to play in cementing the UK’s position as America’s partner of choice – and that’s exactly why we are bringing together the very best of UK business, creativity and innovation to Los Angeles this month.

We have seen a fantastic appetite to join the Greater Together LA delegation, from a whole range of organisations; testament to the clear opportunity that the US market presents for driving jobs and growth here in the UK.

Greater Together will bring UK businesses and investors together with US counterparts, building on a successful Presidential Visit to the UK last year, when a record-breaking £150bn investment commitments were unveiled, creating more than 7,600 high-quality jobs across the UK.

Presenting partners of the event include British Airways and American Airlines, TSL and PwC. Official partners of the event include Payward, YouTube and the Wall Street Journal.