Britain will be hit by President Trump’s tariffs on Wednesday because a deal will not be concluded in time, Downing Street has confirmed.
Trump has vowed to impose levies on a wide range of goods from April 2, which he has declared “liberation day”.
Starmer’s hopes of securing an exemption for British businesses have faded despite the efforts of Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, to secure a bespoke trade agreement. Reynolds described talks last week as “challenging”.
Starmer speaking during a welcome reception at the UK ambassador’s residence in Washington on February 26. He met Trump at the White House the following day and gave him a letter from the King, below
CARL COURT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
CARL COURT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We’ve been actively preparing for all eventualities ahead of the expected announcements from President Trump this week. We would expect the UK to be impacted alongside other countries.”
The Office for Budget Responsibility, the government’s spending watchdog, has said that American
