America remains a growth market for British businesses, but slower corporate profits, sticky inflation and a patchwork of state-level rules mean the bar for success has been raised, according to leading audit, tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.
The United States is still expanding, but the easy tailwinds that once carried ambitious British exporters across the Atlantic are fading. Fresh figures from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis show real GDP grew at an annualised rate of 1.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, with real final sales to private domestic purchasers up 2.4 per cent, a sign that households and businesses are still spending, even as profit growth softens.
For UK firms weighing an American push, the message from Blick Rothenberg is blunt: the opportunity is real, but the margin for error is narrower than it has been for some time.
A growth market, but a tougher one
Michael Holland, Partner and Lead for US Expansion at the firm, said the latest BEA data confirms the US remains a viable growth market for UK exporters and investors. “The US economy is still growing, with GDP expanding at an annualised rate of 1.6 per cent in Q1 2026. Core domestic demand is still holding up, with real final sales to private domestic purchasers rising 2.4 per cent, which suggests customers and businesses are still spending. However, with inflation remaining elevated and corporate profit growth slowing sharply, the bar for success is rising.”
His comments land against a backdrop of rising friction in the transatlantic trade corridor. According to the Office for National Statistics, UK goods exports to the US have been volatile since Washington introduced its latest round of tariffs, with sharp month-on-month swings as British exporters rework supply chains and pricing.
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