The US and Great Britain, ahead of Trump's visit to London, have resumed talks on tariffs on steel and aluminum exports. These negotiations are politically delicate for Great Britain's ruling Labour Party, Politico clarifies, according to UNN.
Details
Great Britain and the US are resuming steel talks ahead of Trump's state visit. It is currently known that these negotiations, which had been "stalled" for some time in the summer, resumed in September, according to the publication.
The discussion concerns the introduction of new quotas that reduce tariffs on steel and aluminum exports to the US.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is preparing to visit Great Britain for a second historic state visit.
British officials hope to use this opportunity to achieve a breakthrough on tariffs, as well as to conclude a long-awaited technological partnership.
The negotiations are also politically sensitive for Great Britain's ruling Labour Party. Recently, Labour has been facing pressure in Britain from the Reform UK party, especially in the country's industrial centers.
Tried to resolve quickly
Since March, British steel and aluminum producers have faced 25% tariffs at the US border. And now, against the backdrop of a new start to steel negotiations, British trade representatives "really want to achieve something more," the publication writes, citing a source.
In May, Trump and Keir Starmer announced an agreement that promised "swift discussions" to secure a quota for metal exports from Great Britain.
The goal is to import a certain volume of steel, aluminum, and their processed products from Great Britain to the US at rates significantly lower than 25%.
The head of the White House, in July, during his visit to Scotland, stated that the reduction of tariffs on British steel and aluminum would happen "quite soon."
But then came a "slowdown" instead of "quick solutions."
But five months after the agreement was signed in May, the UK is still lobbying US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for the White House to implement these quotas, Politico writes.
Economic successes for London are at risk
The longer this goes on, the more uncertainty, the more damage, the less likely economic growth, and the greater the threat to related jobs
For reference
The US has strict rules for importing steel and aluminum, meaning that metals must be melted and poured in the country of origin to qualify for tariff benefits.
However, these requirements became a difficult test for the British steel industry after Tata Steel UK's Port Talbot steelworks, the largest exporter to the US, closed last September.