Amid Trump’s Tariff Threats, UK Names Indian-Origin Varun Chandra As Trade Envoy To US

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed Indian-origin expert Varun Chandra as Britain’s new special envoy to the United States for trade and investment, as London looks to strengthen economic ties with Washington amid recent diplomatic strains.

Chandra, who currently serves as Starmer’s business liaison at Downing Street, will be tasked with advancing the UK’s economic interests in the US at a time when bilateral relations have faced pressure following tensions linked to the Greenland issue.

According to reports, Chandra was part of recent UK–US discussions held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where talks took place amid US President Donald Trump’s controversial push to acquire Greenland.

A banker-turned-consultant with

long-standing ties to the Labour Party, Chandra previously served as global managing partner at Hakluyt, a strategic advisory firm. Born in South Shields in northeast England to parents of Indian origin, he has built a career around finance, strategic advisory roles and international economic diplomacy.

Chandra travels frequently to Washington and has developed close working relationships with senior figures in the Trump administration, including US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Last year, he played a key role in securing a UK–US trade agreement that resulted in lower tariffs for Britain than those imposed on the European Union, though progress in areas such as technology has since slowed.

Under the new arrangement, Chandra will work closely with Christian Turner, who has recently taken charge as the UK’s ambassador in Washington. While Turner’s brief focuses on maximising business relationships, Chandra’s role will centre on diplomacy and trade negotiations.

The appointment underscores Starmer’s emphasis on deploying British soft power and repairing ties with the US, even as relations have been tested by Trump’s recent remarks on Greenland and his comments regarding NATO troop deployments.

Earlier, Lutnick described Chandra as an “excellent representative” of the UK and a “trusted friend,” highlighting his growing influence in transatlantic economic diplomacy.