Downing Street said on Monday it would continue to keep “all options on the table” after the US president was reported to have told journalists on Air Force One that he has no intention of creating exemptions. Mr Trump has implemented a 25% tariff on global steel and aluminium imports. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is expected to fly to the US later this week (Stefan Rousseau/PA)Asked about the comments, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Monday: “We’re engaged in pragmatic discussions with the US on securing a wider economic deal, when it comes to the global tariffs we’re assessing all options. He told the Commons: “We will take a pragmatic approach.”The UK is “negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed,” he told MPs. The move is the latest blow to a steel industry, which has seen thousands of job losses in recent years due to issues including global competition, high energy costs and the shift to cleaner technologies.

Source: The Times March 17, 2025 17:36 UTC