Stand as much as Donald Trump metal tariffs menace, urges Ed Davey

Liberal Democrat chief Sir Ed Davey has urged the UK to hit again in opposition to the US if Donald Trump slaps tariffs on British metal and aluminium exports.

The UK has to date declined to hitch the EU and Canada in threatening instant retaliation if a deliberate 25% import tax comes into pressure subsequent month.

However Sir Ed mentioned “sitting again and hoping Trump will not harm us simply is not going to work”, including the UK wanted to barter “from a place of power”.

Talking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir Starmer mentioned ministers have been conducting a “level-headed evaluation of the implications”.

“However we’ll at all times put our nationwide curiosity first, and steelworkers first,” the prime minister added.

The tariffs, set to use from 12 March, would imply any metal or aluminium product coming into the US from overseas can be hit with an import tax value 25% of its worth.

Round 10% of British metal exports are despatched to the US, and trade physique UK Metal says the tariffs pose “enormous ramifications” for the sector.

The taxes are thought to pose a specific menace to British suppliers of specialist merchandise, for whom commerce with the US is relatively extra vital.

Leaders in Europe and Canada have been express that they’d retaliate with counter-measures if the tariffs are imposed.

However the UK authorities has averted saying particularly how it might reply, because it tries to stroll a diplomatic tightrope between sustaining good relations with the US and pursuing a “reset” in relations with the EU.

Earlier this week, UK ambassador to the US Lord Mandelson mentioned he was “involved” about the potential for tariffs, however warned in opposition to “overreacting”.

Talking at PMQs, Sir Ed mentioned Trump wanted “reminding” of who America’s “true” allies have been, noting that Britons and Canadians had fought alongside US troopers throughout World Struggle Two.

He added that the US president and tech mogul Elon Musk, who’s advising him, “want to listen to robust measures and phrases, from even their allies”.

In a press launch afterwards, he accused the federal government of permitting Trump and Musk to “trip roughshod over UK pursuits”.

He mentioned plans for retaliatory tariffs ought to start with “Tesla tariffs” to hit Musk, the boss of the electrical carmaker, “the place it hurts”.

He added: “The one means we are able to deal with Trump and Musk is by negotiating from a place of power and displaying that the UK is not going to be bullied from throughout the pond”.

It marks the newest time Sir Ed has introduced up the US president at PMQs, in an obvious signal the Lib Dem chief believes there may be area within the British political marketplace for a strongly anti-Trump get together.

He has talked about Trump or Musk – who known as the Lib Dem chief a “snivelling cretin” final month – in every of his six earlier appearances on the weekly scrutiny session within the Home of Commons.