LONDON, June 23 (Xinhua) -- A majority of business leaders in the United Kingdom (UK) believe the government should prioritize its relationship with the European Union (EU), a new research report from the Institute of Directors (IoD) showed on Tuesday.
The report, which reveals a marked shift in business sentiment around the 10-year anniversary of the Brexit vote, showed that some 52 percent of business leaders believe the government should make the EU its top trading priority, a significant increase from 35 percent in April 2025.
By contrast, the proportion of those who believe the government should approach all trading partners equally falls to 35 percent, down from 41 percent.
Specifically, support for prioritizing trading with the United States (U.S.) has dropped sharply, with just 2 percent of business leaders identifying it as the top priority compared with 10 percent last year, the report showed.
Emma Rowland, trade policy advisor at the IoD, said that the report shows business leaders are prioritizing stability amid geopolitical tensions, heightened protectionism and increased tariff barriers.
"The shift away from transatlantic trade is symptomatic of this striving for predictability, something that the U.S. is not offering at the moment," she said. ■