The business and trade secretary has claimed that the UK is better placed than any other country in the world to avoid Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The US president is set to unveil sweeping import taxes on goods from countries around the world on Wednesday, an event Trump has dubbed “liberation day”.
Keir Starmer’s government has been trying to negotiate an economic deal with the US, which it is hoped could protect UK businesses from the worst impacts of Trump’s plans.
Jonathan Reynolds, the business and trade secretary, admitted he expected the UK to be targeted on Wednesday, along with every other country in the world. But he said he believed the UK will be able to do a deal to reverse the tariffs, and that that could be achieved within weeks or months.
Reynolds told BBC Radio 4‘s Today programme: “We have engaged with the US on the potential for a deal, because that is in the UK’s national interest, and actually would be mutually beneficial to the US and the UK…
“Only the president will himself know exactly how the US is going to take tomorrow. And you’re right to say it might not be possible for any country in the world to be exempted from the initial announcements.
“But I do believe the work we have done means the UK is in the best possible position of any country to potentially reach an agreement.
“I do believe UK businesses support our approach. They support the calm-headed approach, the desire to engage, to remain at the table, while we can potentially secure an agreement.”
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Trump has already announced a 25 per cent import tax will be introduced on all cars imported to the US, a measure which will be a blow to the UK’s automotive industry.
Some 16.9 per cent of UK car exports were to the US last year, representing a total of more than 101,000 units worth £7.6bn.
The levy is on top of a series of tariffs set to come into effect on 2 April, which could include a general 20 per cent tax on UK products in response to the rate of VAT, which Trump considers to be discriminatory against the US.
Conducting the morning media round on Tuesday, Reynolds also insisted that free speech has not been part of trade negotiations with the US.
The comment followed a statement from the US state department, saying it was “concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom” in relation to the case of an anti-abortion campaigner.
The statement said it was “monitoring” the case of Livia Tossici-Bolt, who was prosecuted for holding a sign near a Bournemouth abortion clinic reading: “Here to talk if you want.”
A verdict in the case is due on Friday.
The business and trade secretary told Times Radio: “Obviously, there are things from different people in the administration that they’ve said in the past about this, but it’s not been part of the trade negotiations that I’ve been part of.”
Asked about potential retaliatory tariffs in future, Reynolds said he “can’t rule anything out”.
He said there are safeguards in place to avoid the UK being hit by trade diversion in the event of a trade war.
“We already have in place the kind of quotas, what we call safeguards, tariffs that make sure we’re not swamped by the goods that otherwise would have gone to other countries”, he said.
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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Source: Politics
