UK officials are hopeful that the country’s steel industry will avoid being slapped with a 50 per cent tariff by Donald Trump when a deadline expires on Wednesday for nations to negotiate tariff deals with the US president.
London is locked in intensive talks with Washington to fully implement the “economic partnership” agreement signed by both sides on May 8. The accord offered a zero-tariff quota for UK steelmakers, but has not been agreed two months later.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Monday said the government was working to get the deal finished “as soon as possible” but was unable to say when it would be done.