Minister Does Not Deny UK Is Now At The 'Whim' Of Donald Trump

Sally Nugent and Heidi AlexanderA minister did not deny the UK is now at “the whim” of Donald Trump after he gave a bizarre explanation as to why Britain is protected from his trade tariffs.The president declared the US-UK trade deal is finally “done” overnight in a major win for Keir Starmer.It means the levies on British cars entering the US market will drop from 25% to 10%.However, a deal on cutting import taxes on British steel and aluminium products from 25% to zero – compared to the global rate of 50% – is yet to be finalised.Still, Trump told reporters at the G7 summit in Canada that the UK is “very well protected” from his tariffs “because I like them”.On BBC Breakfast this morning, presenter Sally Nugent asked to transport secretary Heidi Alexander: “Is this country now basically at the whim of the US president who could change his mind at any time about whether he likes us or not?”Alexander took a deep breath – and dodged the question.She said: “The UK and the US have had a very strong trading relationship over many decades.“I know my colleague Jonathan Reynolds who is the secretary of state for business and trade has very close working relationships with his counterparts in the department of commerce.”She said the deal announced by the government overnight is “absolutely critical” and that the UK steel industry will not be affected by the 50% tariffs imposed on the rest of the sector.“We are in this unique position, we are the only country in the world to have already got a trade agreement with the US... we are already working on getting that implemented,” the cabinet minister said.Alexander also claimed the government is “determined to go further” on car manufacturing and aerospace.Trump has a reputation for being particularly mercurial and sending contradictory messages.The US president even accidentally called the UK the European Union in front of Starmer while announcing the news on Monday.Related...Trump Leaves Starmer Scrabbling On The Ground As He Unveils US-UK Trade DealDonald Trump Reveals The Reason Why The UK Is 'Very Well Protected' From His TariffsHuge Crowds Attend Anti-Trump 'No Kings' Protests Across America

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