The UK government has announced more than £1.25 billion in new investment from major US financial firms, a move set to create 1,800 jobs across London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester and deepen the economic partnership between the two countries.

The announcement comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s second state visit to Britain, underscoring the strength of the so-called “golden corridor” in financial services.

The investment package includes commitments from PayPal, Bank of America, Citi, S&P Global and BlackRock. Bank of America will launch its first operation in Northern Ireland, creating up to 1,000 jobs in Belfast. Citi is investing £1.1 billion across its UK operations, with a further commitment to growing its presence in Northern Ireland. S&P Global will invest over £4 million in Manchester, supporting 200 permanent roles, while BlackRock is expected to allocate £7 billion to the UK market next year and has opened a new office in Edinburgh, nearly doubling its local workforce.

Business and trade secretary Peter Kyle said, “Strengthening ties with the US boosts our economy, creates jobs, and secures our role in global finance, delivering on our Plan for Change. These investments reflect the strength of our enduring ‘golden corridor’ with one of our closest trading partners, ahead of the US Presidential State Visit.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves added, “This commitment from America’s leading financial institutions demonstrates the immense potential of the UK economy, our strong relationship with the US and the confidence global investors have in our Plan for Change, which is making the UK the best place in the world to invest and do business. These investments will create thousands of high-skilled jobs from Belfast to Edinburgh, kickstarting the growth that is essential to putting money in working people’s pockets across every part of the United Kingdom.”

The government said the deals line up £20 billion in trade between Britain and the US, with more than £8 billion in investment and capital commitments coming to the UK and over £12 billion flowing in the other direction. The announcement follows a “landmark” economic deal in May that secured major tariff reductions for key sectors and protected jobs in automotive and aerospace.

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