UK Expects To Be Hit With Trump Tariffs – But Has Not Ruled Out Retaliation, No.10 Says

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and US President Donald Trump shake hands at a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. The UK is preparing for Donald Trump’s trade tariffs to hit British business this week although No.10 has not ruled introducing retaliatory measures.The US president is looking to unveil a huge list of import taxes on Wednesday, a day he has dubbed America’s “Liberation Day”.Despite the government’s efforts to secure a UK exemption via a trade deal, the prime minister’s spokesperson has now confirmed Britain is expecting to be included in this week’s dramatic measures.It comes on top of Trump’s decision to already put tariffs on aluminium, steel and vehicles.Speaking to reporters today, Downing Street said the UK has “been actively preparing for all eventualities ahead of the expected announcements from President Trump this week, which we would expect the UK to be impacted by alongside other countries.”Discussions for a UK-US economic trade deal are still ongoing, but, according to Keir Starmer’s spokesperson, they are “likely to continue beyond Wednesday”.He added that the UK would “take a calm and pragmatic approach in our response”.“We will continue to have those talks as long as there’s a chance to reach a deal with the US. That’s the right thing to do,” he said.Downing Street also refused to say if there could be a response to the tariffs this week, saying the UK has not “seen the details of what the US is going to announce yet”.The spokesperson continued: “We’ve been clear that a trade war with the US is not in the national interest, but we will reserve the right to respond in a way that does protect British industry once we’ve seen the detail.“And in the meantime, we’re going to continue to have these constructive discussions to agree to a UK-US economic deal.”Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned by the Office for Budget Responsibility that all of the spare cash she hoped to have saved in the public coffers would be wiped out if Trump goes ahead with his plans.Asked if the government would unveil a new Budget in response to any Trump tariffs, he said: “We’ll obviously always take an approach that suits the British economy.“We’ll have an update in the autumn and the OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility] will obviously update the forecast at that point.”It comes as the Liberal Democrats’ leader Ed Davey called on the government to be “tough” with Trump.He suggested Labour to impose tariffs on Tesla vehicles – the company owned by Trump’s right-hand man and informal adviser Elon Musk.Davey said: “In [Trump’s book] the Art Of The Deal he talks about if the other guy looks desperate or weak, he’s going to walk all over you. So I think if you’re dealing with Donald Trump you’ve got to realise who you’re dealing with.“He’s not an ordinary American president where we can be friends and trust and have that great relationship we’ve had with so many American presidents, of all political parties, Republicans and Democrats.“He’s not that sort of person. I think we’ve got to be tough with him.”He added that Trump is “not a reliable guy for trade deals”.Speaking at a local election campaign launch event, he said: “If we can do a deal with Trump, well, fine. The question you’ve got to ask yourself is do you believe he’ll stick with it?“He’s not a reliable ally. The evidence is overwhelming. He signed a deal with Canada when he was last president and he’s reneged on that, he even said it was a crazy deal, who would sign it? Forgetting that he signed it.”Related...Trump Says He 'Couldn't Care Less' If His Tariffs Push Up Car PricesBrits Demand Closer Ties With Europe To Counter Donald Trump's TariffsBlow For Rachel Reeves As Trump Announces 25% Tariffs On All Cars Imported To America