Snubbed Starmer Again Fails to Eliminate Steel Tariffs in US Deal – Guido Fawkes

Snubbed Starmer Again Fails to Eliminate Steel Tariffs in US Deal

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Last night, Starmer and Trump finally signed the much-vaunted US-UK trade deal. Despite all the earlier fanfare, the 25% tariffs on British steel remain firmly in place…

Co-conspirators will recall when Downing Street briefings hailed a “major breakthrough,” with lobby hacks eagerly reporting zero tariffs on UK steel. On 8 May, the government declared:

“The UK steel industry – which was on the brink of collapse just weeks ago – will no longer face tariffs thanks to today’s deal. The Prime Minister negotiated the 25% tariff down to zero, meaning UK steelmakers can carry on exporting to the US.”

By 3 June – when the US administration hiked steel tariffs on everyone else and kept the UK’s at 25% – the Department for Business and Trade insisted it was close to getting a breakthrough on steel:

“The Government is engaging intensively with the US to implement the Economic Prosperity Deal that we agreed on 8 May at pace, including on steel and aluminium, and will update on progress in due course.”

Starmer promised the deal would be done by 18 June. Now the DBT says both sides will only “make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed.” Not quite the tariff-free triumph once trumpeted…

Elsewhere, tariffs on UK car exports drop from 27.5% to 10%, aerospace goods escape duties entirely, and pharmaceuticals see no change. Just weeks ago, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds warned on Newsnight the UK was “days” away from “thousands of people losing their jobs” in steel and automotive if the deal wasn’t struck. Starmer snubbed by the White House again…