UK quickly spared from Donald Trump’s 50% steel tariffs

The UK has been quickly spared from US President Donald Trump’s government order doubling metal and aluminium tariffs from 25% to 50%.

The order signed by Trump on Tuesday night raises import taxes for US corporations shopping for from different nations from Wednesday – however the levy stays at 25% for the UK.

The order relies on the UK and US tariff pact signed in Could, which might axe metal and aluminium tariffs however has but to return into power, which means UK metal exporters will face tariffs till then and will face the 50% tariff if the pact falters.

The UK authorities mentioned it’s “dedicated to defending British enterprise and jobs”, however the Conservatives mentioned the order was a “contemporary tariff blow”.

The UK authorities spokesperson added that it’ll “proceed to work with the US to implement our settlement, which is able to see the [tariffs] eliminated”, with the laws implementing the deal to be introduced in Parliament “sooner or later”.

Trump mentioned within the order that the UK wanted “completely different remedy” due to the US-UK Financial Prosperity Deal (ECD) signed on 8 Could 2025.

Nonetheless, Trump later added that the US may enhance the tariff on the UK “on or after July 9 2025” if it “determines that the UK has not complied with related facets of the EPD”.

The UK’s carve-out within the government order comes after Enterprise Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with US Commerce Consultant Jamieson Greer in Paris on Wednesday.

The US is the vacation spot for about 7% of UK metal exports, which means any tariffs have a big effect on the trade.

Director common of UK Metal Gareth Stace mentioned the UK’s exemption from the 50% tariff was “a welcome pause”, however added that “uncertainty stays over timings and last tariff charges, and now US prospects can be doubtful over whether or not they need to even danger making UK orders”.

“The US and UK should urgently flip the Could deal into actuality to take away the tariffs utterly,” he mentioned.

Shadow enterprise secretary Andrew Griffith mentioned: “Labour’s botched negotiations have left companies in limbo and this nation merely can’t afford their persevering with failure.”