UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Announces Offset Rules for Foreign Contractors

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced that foreign firms awarded contracts over £50 million will be required to invest an equivalent amount in British factories, jobs and training. The new offset rules, described as an "offset strategy", will be applied on a case‑by‑case basis from April 2027 and are intended to help the UK meet its 3 % of GDP defence‑spending target by 2030. The policy follows similar measures in Poland, Norway and the Netherlands and is part of a broader effort to maximise domestic benefits from overseas defence procurement. Streeting said the rules would "bring bang for the British buck" and that delaying the detailed 3 % plan to next year’s spending review was "the right thing to do" to allow ministers to assess spending in the round.