Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared that “all options are on the table” when it comes to responding to US President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs impacting British businesses.
Earlier this morning, the UK was dragged into a trade war after the Trump administration implemented 25 per cent of imports from the steel and aluminium industries worldwide.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for Starmer to be “more robust” with the United States and visit Canada “as soon as possible” to show solidarity after the multiple import taxes levied on the nation.
In response, Starmer said: “On the question of tariffs, like everybody else I’m disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminium.
“But we will take a pragmatic approach. We are as he knows negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed but we will keep all options on the table.”
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This is the first indication that Number 10 is keeping the door open to potential retaliatory measures after Donald Trump hit steel and aluminium imports with 25 per cent tariffs.
Steel industry representatives have warned that jobs could be at risk after the UK was unable to secure an exemption to the tax raid.
In contrast, the European Union has responded to the global tariffs by announcing trade counter-measures.
These will not come into effect until April 2 but are expecting to be levied on £22billion worth of American goods.
According to figures from the Government, around five per cent of UK steel exports and six per cent of aluminium exports by volume go to the United States.
However, trade associations for each industry suggest that these statistics underestimate the scale of shipments being imported across the pond.
Britain’s beleaguered steel industry has already seen thousands of job losses in recent years amid high energy costs, the push to Net Zero and global competition.
The tariffs came into effect at 4am GMT, with the Prime Minister failing to indicate a timeframe as to when UK tariffs on the US would be introduced.
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