UK warns the US of strong retaliatory measures over steel exports tariffs

The International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has warned the US of retaliatory measures if punitive tariffs on UK steel exports are not lifted soon. Returning to the UK after talks in the US with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, she said, “I was very clear that the pressures we are under to use countervailing measures if we can’t solve the problem are becoming more acute.” She said she had invited Raimondo to London for further talks on the issue in January.
However, UK companies will be at a competitive disadvantage compared to companies based in the EU. She said, “I am very keen that we solve this with what is our closest ally in the US through a positive removal” of the tariffs. Trevelyan said that resolving the dispute would benefit workers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. The Trump-era tariffs of 25 per cent on steel exports were imposed when the UK was part of the European Union.
If the issue isn’t resolved quickly, the UK could increase existing retaliatory tariffs on products such as US whisky and cosmetics. It could also broaden the scope of the retaliatory measures to include other items, including lobsters, electric motors, and orange juice. US President Joe Biden has so far refused to cancel the measures put in place by his predecessor.