Brussels countermeasures to target €26bn of US goods from April while UK takes ‘pragmatic’ approach; US tariffs cover wide range of household goods such as tin foil
- Full story: Trump tariffs on steel and aluminium come into effect amid US-Canada trade war
- EU retaliates against Trump tariffs with €26bn ‘countermeasures’
Community Union, Britain’s steelworkers’ union says the tariffs are “hugely damaging” and threaten jobs – and “self-defeating” for the United States.
Alasdair McDiarmid, Community’s assistant general secretary, said:
These US tariffs on UK steel exports are hugely damaging and they threaten jobs. For the US it’s also self-defeating, as the UK is a leading supplier of specialist steel products required by their defence and aerospace sectors.
The UK’s response must include delivering a robust Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the strongest possible trade defence measures to shield our sector from diverted imports.
Our government must act decisively to protect the steel industry and its workers following the announcement of US tariffs.
This is a matter of national security. Steel should be immediately designated as critical national infrastructure to properly protect it.