Labour warns of 'grave threat' to UK steel industry as Donald Trump slaps tariffs on allies

Liz Bates

Donald Trump’s decision to slap tariffs on steel and aluminium entering the US poses a “grave threat” to the UK’s struggling industry, Labour has warned.



The US announced that EU, Canadian and Mexican firms would face a 25% duty on steel and a 10% duty on aluminium from midnight tonight.

The news prompted a fierce backlash from Brussels with European Commission Presisdent, Jean-Claude Juncker, calling the move “unjustified” and threatening retaliatory measures.

Shadow International Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner called for an “urgent” response from the Government to protect Britain’s struggling steel sector.

He said: “These tariffs present a grave threat to our steel and aluminium industries and to thousands of UK jobs.

“President Trump is using national security as an excuse for these unjustified and protectionist tariffs. They fly in the face of WTO rules and risk a global trade war.

“Liam Fox needs to take urgent action to defend British industry from these unfair measures.”

In a statement Downing Street said it was “deeply disappointed” with the US President’s decision, adding that Theresa May would confront Mr Trump on the issue at next week’s meeting of the G7 industrial nations in Canada.

A Government spokesman said: “The UK and other European Union countries are close allies of the US and should be permanently and fully exempted from the American measures on steel and aluminium.”