US Stance On Trade Unlikely To Change Even If A Democrat Replaced Trump, Minister Warns

US President Donald Trump announcing his tariffs in April.The US’s stance on trade would be unlikely to change even if a Democrat were elected to the White House, a minister has warned.The US president imposed a 10% tax on British imports to the States in April, on top of a global 25% levy on aluminium, steel and cars.Other countries received higher “reciprocal” tariffs initially, rocking worldwide trade, although Trump did end up reducing the majority to 10%.The UK became the first nation to agree to a trade deal with the States to reduce the tariffs earlier this year.The two sides agreed to cut British steel and aluminum levies to zero and cut the car taxes to 10% – for up to 100,000 – although it is yet to be finalised. Britain also secured a temporary exemption when Trump doubled its import tariffs on steel and aluminium to 50%, until July 9, depending on the progress of the trade deal.Even so, the tariffs have undoubtedly hit the British economy. The Office for National Statistics revealed on Thursday that gross domestic product (GDP) had declined by 0.3% in April, primarily due to the tariffs and the higher taxes imposed by the British Treasury.But at a press gallery lunch with reporters on Thursday, trade and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds suggested these tariffs are not just a product of Trump’s administration.He said it was time for Europe to “understand how the US feels” about the “lack of reciprocity” with trade.“The US trade deal – there have been some hard bits of negotiating that,” Reynolds said, after saying he expects the final agreement to be finalised “very soon”.“The US agenda is very significant, but we have always sought to recognise how the US feels about this.“I said to an audience of European colleagues last week in Brussels, this, we have to understand, in Europe, is not US politics disrupting global trade.“This is how global trade has disrupted US politics.“I don’t think the kind of US agenda we see on trade would change overnight, if it was the end of the presidential term and someone else came in – even if it was Democratic president.“Understand how the US feels about this, the lack of reciprocity, about some grievances, about how some multi-lateral bodies work.“We might have different views but we have to engage, be willing to engage with them as well as build some personal relationships. That has been why we’ve been able to do a bit more than some others.”There are hopes the US-UK trade deal will get over the line soon.Reynolds met the US commerce secretary Howard Lutnik with PM Keir Starmer this week in London, and the UK ambassador to the States Peter Mandelson met with Trump in the White House.The business secretary also told reporters it had been a “very significant” week in relation to the agreement.Related...Donald Trump's Tariffs Blamed As Experts Make Grim Forecast About UK EconomyBlow For Rachel Reeves As UK Economy Shrank By 0.3% After Trump TariffsFederal Court Blocks Trump From Imposing Sweeping Tariffs Under Emergency Powers Law

Comments

Breaking news

Chef wins £20,000 payout after boss ‘ranted about unreliable Mexicans’

Metro

Comments

Similar News

Israel 'plans to hit Iran nukes in days': US warns of imminent strike after Tehran breaches weapons pledge

US senator dragged out of LA immigration news conference

Utah Republican proposes sale of more than 2 million acres of US lands

US faith leaders opposed to ICE raids counsel nonviolent resistance and lead by example

McIlroy falters as Spaun sets pace at bruising US Open

Protests over immigration raids continue across the US with more planned

J.J. Spaun handles tough Oakmont with the putter for a 66 and early US Open lead

What video and flight data tell us about Air India crash

FTSE 100 hits new record as investors fish for non-US stocks

Most US adults do not think Trump’s $45M military parade is ‘a good use of money,’ poll finds

RFK Jr appoints new US vaccine advisers after sacking committee

Mourners pay respects to late US Rep. Charles Rangel as his body lies in state at New York City Hall

UK ‘ready to go’ on implementing US trade deal, says Business Secretary

US-backed Israeli company's spyware used to target European journalists, Citizen Lab finds

Labour's Jonathan Reynolds 'hopeful' US-UK deal on car tariffs will FINALLY be in place in days - with Britain 'ready to go' once Donald Trump gives the green light

Biphobia Is Louder Than Ever This Pride – Stop Asking Us To 'Be More Queer'

UK ‘ready to go’ on implementing US trade deal, says Business Secretary

Video game actor strike ends in US - but AI described as 'direct threat' to UK industry

Trump accused of 'lobbing grenade' into US-UK security pact as president orders review of nuclear sub deal intended to tackle Chinese aggression

Shock study finds olive oil could be making us FAT - experts warn millions should cut back

Breaking news

Chef wins £20,000 payout after boss ‘ranted about unreliable Mexicans’

British family killed in Air India crash sent one final selfie to waiting relatives

Moving house taken to new level after 432 tiny robots pick up apartment block

Iran vs Israel: who has the strongest military?

Poundland has been a lifeline for me – I’m sick of the snobbery

Lost world discovered beneath ice in Antarctica after 34,000,000 years

Billy Connolly reflects on memories of his youth in new artworks

Police Scotland send 80 officers to Northern Ireland as riots spread

I have terminal cancer and won’t wait around for the agonising death my wife had

Seven men convicted of sexual offences against two schoolgirls in Rochdale

Massage parlour offering ‘unparalleled rejuvenation’ turned out to be a brothel

Severe thunderstorm weather warning issued in parts of the UK

'Leave The Mask At Home': The Neurodivergent Dating Rule I Wish I Knew Sooner

Kemi Badenoch Accused Of Making A 'Liz Truss-Style Promise' With Latest Unfunded Policy

Israel's Attack On Iran: Why The UK Is 'Very Worried' About What Comes Next

Police accused of misusing license plate data in hunt for woman who had abortion

Meta sues deepfake ‘nudify’ app which uses AI to remove clothing from photos

Weight-loss jabs could soon be among most commonly used NHS drugs, top doctor says

Wales will overhaul its democracy at the next election. Here’s what’s changing

Florida sheriff warns protesters ahead of nationwide rallies: ‘We will kill you dead’

Some fish feel excruciating pain for up to 20 minutes after catch, scientists find

Nightclub owner arrested following deadly roof collapse which killed 236 people

Download Festival mosh-pit warning over hundreds of ‘accidental’ ambulance calls

Greater Manchester Police chief refuses to apologise for past homophobia in ‘insult’ to LGBT+ community

Earthquakes damage centuries-old monasteries in a secluded religious community in Greece

Footage of Hainualt sword attacker slashing at police shown to court

Archaeologists uncover France’s deepest shipwreck: ‘As if time froze’

Pope confirms when millennial saint Carlo Acutis will be canonised

Israel and Iran: How do they compare militarily?

Mapped: the 40 cities where anti-ICE protests have erupted across the US

Calls grow for Kristi Noem to resign in the wake of Padilla incident

What to know about Israel's major attack on Iran

Dad-of-two killed in Air India crash after scattering wife's ashes in final wish

Ryanair issues advice on 'joining the left queue' at the airport

Bus operator working to resolve Hamilton pavement parking congestion issue

Young people in West Lothian tasked with designing alternative uses for heat pumps

Air India crash survivor 'watched air hostesses and passengers die' before him

Newly identified Covid symptom that shows you have highly infectious Nimbus variant

Double Scots murderer slices fellow inmate's face open in brutal attack behind bars

UK holidaymakers face 'extreme risk' in two Spanish islands amid high temperatures

Historic rural Stirling bridge set to re-open after nine month closure

Scotland's 'cheapest and most expensive' places for a pint named

Billionaire friend of Prince William dies after swallowing bee while playing polo

How did Google, Spotify, YouTube and more go down at once in massive outage?

SNP minister Neil Gray in fresh 'Limogate' scandal after being chauffeured to pub before Aberdeen game

Wishaw MSP encourages charities working with young people to apply to £50,000 fund

Club World Cup guide: How it works, how to watch - and why some footballers are upset about it

Yung Filly faces further sexual assault charges in Australia

'Danger to life' warning for thunderstorms set to hit UK

Only survivor of Air India plane crash thought he was 'going to die'

Who were the Iranian military chiefs and nuclear scientists killed by Israel?

Berghaus’ £750 five-person tent that can be pitched in ‘just twenty minutes’ is now under £360

This Morning stars in emotional on-air tribute to guest feared dead in Air India crash

Huge £208,000,000 Euromillions draw offering biggest lottery prize ever seen runs tonight

Sole survivor reveals what happens in final seconds before Air India plane crashed

Man charged with murdering 13-month-old baby boy

Passenger on Air India plane before it crashed shares video showing worrying defects