He said he would not comment directly on what were “live” discussions but added “negotiations of this kind are never straightforward”.
The New York Times – which first reported the story, external – said there were “broader disagreements” between the two sides, including over digital regulations and food safety rules.
The UK government did not comment on these specific claims. The White House has not responded to the BBC’s request for a comment.
However, Trump’s science adviser Michael Kratsios on Tuesday evening said the administration hoped to restart talks over the deal.
“In line with Section III of the US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal, we hope to resume work with the United Kingdom once the UK has made substantial progress in implementing its commitments under the Economic Prosperity Deal,” Kratsios wrote on X.
“We look forward to continuing our productive collaboration across AI, quantum, nuclear, and other critical technology areas under the Deal.”
When the deal was announced the government was keen to highlight the benefits it said it would bring.
“This Tech Prosperity Deal marks a generational step change in our relationship with the US,” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement., external
Technology secretary Liz Kendall said the partnership would “transform lives across Britain” and was a “vote of confidence in Britain’s booming AI sector.”
At the same time the deal was revealed, a series of US tech firms announced a flurry of investment in the UK.
A total of £31bn in planned spending was set out by tech giants including Microsoft, Nvidia and Google.
It is believed those investment plans are unaffected.
Google, Microsoft and Nvidia have also been approached for comment, but the firms have not yet responded to the BBC.
Nvidia boss Jensen Huang said in September his company’s UK investment reflected his belief it could become an “AI superpower” – an ambition championed by Sir Keir’s government.
It said investment announced by tech firms alongside the Tech Prosperity Deal would be used to scale-up AI infrastructure such as data centres, across the UK.