UK to impose tariffs on imports of steel from US after Brexit
LONDON – The Post-Brexit UK government will have an independent approach to the longstanding trade conflicts between the EU and US around steel and aluminium and aerospace tariffs.
To protect the UK steel industry, UK’s International Trade Secretary Ms Liz Truss is rolling over tariffs in response to the unjustified ‘Section 232’ tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on aluminium and steel imports.
These tariffs will continue from January 1st when the UK becomes an independent trading nation once again. Ms Truss said “As an independent trading nation once again, we finally have the ability to shape these tariffs to our interests and our economy, and to stand up for UK business. Ultimately, we want to de-escalate the conflict and come to a negotiated settlement so we can deepen our trading relationship with the US and draw a line under all this. We are protecting our steel industry against illegal and unfair tariffs and will continue to do so but are also showing the US we are serious about ending a dispute that benefits neither country.”
The Department for International Trade will launch a consultation to ensure these tariffs are shaped to UK interests and tailored to the UK economy, based on evidence and input from key stakeholders. Details of the scope and timing of the consultation will be confirmed in due course.
Correspondingly, the UK government is suspending retaliatory tariffs resulting from the Boeing dispute in an effort to bring the US towards a reasonable settlement and show that the UK is serious about reaching a negotiated outcome. The government reserves the right to impose tariffs at any point if satisfactory progress towards an agreeable settlement is not made.
Two years ago, the United States Government announced that under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act of 1962 it would place tariffs on EU imports of steel and aluminium. In response, the EU imposed counter-balancing measures on US products.
