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Britain is making plans for coincidence for possible retaliation if Donald Trump decides to target its export to tariffs, even when the US president suggested that it could spare the UK.
Trump told reporters, “The UK is out of line and we will see. But the European Union is really wrong.”
He added, “The UK is not right, but I’m sure one is, I think it can be elaborated. But the European Union, it’s the atrocity they did.”
Sir Keir StarmerThe government has made a script planning for possible retaliation in case Trump aiming for export to the UK, according to officials who have drawn plans for unforeseen situations.
“We are prepared,” said a UK official. “We look forward to working closely with President Trump, but ministers will always do what is best in national interest.”
The comments arrived even when the risk of the immediate global trade war began to withdraw on Monday afternoon, when President Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum said she and Trump agreed to delay US tariffs for a month. The White House was also aiming for Canada and China with heavy tariffs.
“The direction he now took over this weekend confused most of the analysts,” said another British official. “Being an open economy is a big point of sale, but there is a very high degree of uncertainty. You can’t turn off anything. “
Speaking at NATO’s headquarters on Monday, Starmer said about the appearance of American tariffs on Britain: “These are early days. It’s really important that we have a strong trade relationship.”
Downing Street opened the ability to retaliate Tit-For-Tat on Monday if Trump aimed at Britain but refused to talk about “hypothetical situations”.
“We want to build on an existing trade relationship in the UK,” said a spokesman for Downing Street. “The Prime Minister has built a very constructive relationship with President Trump.”
Trump for his part said, “Prime Minister Starmer was very nice. We had a few meetings, we had numerous phone calls, they get along well.”
Downing Street said Britain and the US had a “fair and balanced trade connection that uses both sides of the Atlantic”, but ministers are afraid that it may not be enough to protect the UK from the tariff.
The Treasury in the UK wants any retaliation to minimum and Jonathan Reynolds, Business Secretary, said the Financial Times Last year: “Increasing the cost of goods or food for your constituent parts is not attractive.”
Sam Lowe, a trade specialist in Flint Global, said that the problem with retaliation is that “it is actually quite difficult to inflict economic pain now -in that it will inevitably be considered quite provocative.”
However, he said that the UK had a “long list of tariffs on the shelf” from the previous trade dispute with the US – via aluminum and steel – that the dust could if the ministers decide to take revenge.
They included tariffs aimed at specific industry in “Red States” that form Trump’s political heart: previous goals include Levi’s jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Lowe believes that the ministers will first try to prevent tariffs and says they have studied the way Japan has treated Trump in his first term: “Keep your head down and do not provoke him.”
He said that the UK could offer more American products – like gas or defensive equipment – or take a firmer attitude with China, a politically older wants to avoid. “The other thing is just that Trump is really nice,” Lowe added. “Remove the king.”
Duncan Edwards, Executive Director of the British American Business Trade Body, said: “My opinion is that the UK should not take revenge, but it may be politically almost impossible.”
David Henig, a former government trade official, said that one traditional EU -Au’s traditional goal was any transatlantic trade dispute of Burbon whiskey, but the Scottish whiskey manufacturers would like to avoid repression that influenced the key export market.
Sir Ed Davey, Leader of Liberal Democrat, said the Starmer should convene a cothonwealth leader to show Support for Canadawho, along with Mexico, had a strong Trump tariff.
Starmer was in Brussels on Monday for talking to EU leaders, aware that his attempt to “reset” the relationship after Brexit with a block of risks with an antagonizing Trump.
The Prime Minister wants Improved trade relations With the EU and also wants to deepen trade cooperation with the US, especially in the field of services and technology.
According to the US data, America performed the total trade surplus with the UK in 2023, in the amount of $ 14.5 billion. This puts Britain at a favorable position as Trump threatens countries with a significant deficit.