The UK is having “pragmatic” discussions with the US on trade, Number 10 has said, after Donald Trump said that there would be no exemptions to metal tariffs.
Downing Street said on Monday it would continue to keep “all options on the table” after the US president was reported to have told journalists on Air Force One that he has no intention of creating exemptions.
Mr Trump has implemented a 25% tariff on global steel and aluminium imports.
Asked about the comments, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Monday: “We’re engaged in pragmatic discussions with the US on securing a wider economic deal, when it comes to the global tariffs we’re assessing all options.
“As the Prime Minister said last week we’re keeping all options on the table but we’re going to take a pragmatic approach to this and we’ll be continuing to have these discussions.”
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is expected to fly to the US later this week for talks with representatives in Mr Trump’s government.
Asked whether the Business Secretary would be seeking to secure an exemption, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “I’m not going to get ahead of his talks, but he’s going to to continue these discussions on a wider economic deal with the US and that’s what we’re focused on at the moment.”
It follows similar comments from the Prime Minister last week in which he said he was “disappointed” to see the global tariffs implemented.
He told the Commons: “We will take a pragmatic approach.”
The UK is “negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed,” he told MPs. “But we will keep all options on the table.”
The Government said around 5% of UK steel exports and 6% of aluminium exports by volume go to the US, although trade bodies for both industries claim that is an underestimate of the scale of shipments across the Atlantic.
The move is the latest blow to a steel industry, which has seen thousands of job losses in recent years due to issues including global competition, high energy costs and the shift to cleaner technologies.
