UK & Trump Still Tussling Over Steel Tariffs
Why the crunch is getting hotter by the day
Once again the flying‑high President Donald Trump and the stovepipe‑style Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are engaged in a late‑night pawn‑shop of negotiations that could turn the UK into a steel titan—or a steel billionaire’s piggy bank. The deadline for a resolution is creeping up on 9 July, and the stakes have never been higher.
The Deal in a Nutshell
- Current Tariff: Britain pays a 25 % fee on steel imports from the U.S.
- Potential Surge: If no deal lands, that price could jump to a staggering 50 % after 9 July.
- Exceptions: The U.K. has already removed tariffs on aviation and automotive goods—cheers to the car makers!
- Negotiations Ongoing: Trump insists the U.S. will consider easing tariffs if the UK comes to the table.
- Government’s Stance: Downing Street says the talks are “continuing” and aims to scrub the 25 % cut out of the paper as fast as possible.
What the Prime Minister Was Saying
When reporters fired a series of questions at the U.K. spokesperson, the answer was a little like a stand‑up routine: “Our work with the U.S. continues to get this deal implemented as soon as possible. That means, in plain English, we’ll have the tariffs cut sooner rather than later.”
And when pressed about whether MPs feared the 50 % jump, the spokesman chuckled, “As I say, discussions continue. We’re all ears and open to a deal that benefits both businesses and consumers.”
The Bottom Line for the British Street
For ordinary folks, it’s all about how many extra cold cans of copper will sit in the pantry. The machinery of steel production, road construction, and even the everyday garden tools could feel the weight of a 50 % tariff. Thankfully, the U.S. proposition that clears the tariffs if the governments cooperate might keep the price on the flat rather than tripled.
In the meantime, the U.K. government has made sure the country is “the only one in the world to have tariffs removed on these products” – at least for now. The discussion is still very much alive, and the rest of us can only hope it sticks in the final word.
