UK PM Starmer confident US-Britain steel tariff deal will be implemented soon

Wednesday 04 June 2025 - 16:06

By: Zahouani Ilham

UK PM Starmer confident US-Britain steel tariff deal will be implemented soon

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed strong confidence on Wednesday that tariffs on British steel imports to the United States would be eliminated within a few weeks, avoiding a looming July deadline when tariffs could rise to 50%.

Last month, Starmer and then U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on a deal to reduce tariffs on steel, aluminum, and car imports into the U.S., in exchange for cuts on tariffs affecting British beef and ethanol. However, this agreement has not yet been fully enacted.

On Tuesday, the U.K. managed to avoid the 50% steel tariff imposed by Trump, with the current rate remaining at 25% while the agreement is pending implementation. However, a clause in Trump's proclamation warned that if the deal was not put into effect by July 9, the 50% tariff would apply.

When asked if Trump was changing the conditions and imposing a new deadline on the U.K., Starmer remained optimistic about a swift resolution. "We have an agreement and are putting it into action. I’m very confident that within a short time, tariffs will be lowered as agreed," he told lawmakers. "Let’s revisit this in a couple of weeks after implementation."

British Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer shortly before the proclamation and they committed to rapidly advancing sector-specific tariff reductions.

UK Steel, the industry body, praised Reynolds for quickly securing stability by preventing the 50% tariff but warned that ongoing uncertainty over the timeline might discourage American buyers from placing orders with British suppliers. Gareth Stace, UK Steel’s Director-General, urged both countries to finalize the May agreement promptly to fully remove the tariffs.