By Tony O’Riley-
The International Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, has threateed the U.S with retaliatory measures if punitive tariffs on UK steel exports are not lifted soon.
Ms Trevelya has been in the US for talks with the Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
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On her return, Ms Trevelyan said “we had a very frank conversation”.
Ms Trevelyan said she had invited Ms Raimondo to London for further talks on the issue in January, statig that the UK companies will be at a competitive disadvantage by that time compared to companies based in the EU.
She expressed a desire to resolve the issues before then.
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“I was very clear that the pressures we are under to use countervailing measures if we can’t solve the problem are becoming more acute,” she said.
“I am very keen that we solve this with what is our closest ally in the US through a positive removal” of the tariffs, Ms Trevelyan said.
She said that resolving the dispute would benefit workers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
The EU and the U.S have now concluded an agreement that will see tariffs of 25% on steel exports (and 10% on aluminium exports) were imposed when the UK was part of the European Union.them lifted from 1 January. But the tariffs on UK producers remain.
When asked why further talks with the US weren’t happening before 1 January, Ms Trevelyan said the US chose to have a discussion with the EU first because it was a larger trading partner.
If the issue isn’t resolved quickly, the UK could increase existing retaliatory tariffs on products such as US whisky and cosmetics.
U.S President Joe Biden has so far refused to cancel the measures put in place by his predecessor.
Hopes of a post-Brexit US free trade deal have waned after Mr Biden said such agreements were not a priority while he focuses on his domestic agenda.
In June the UK and EU reached deals with the US to suspend tariffs for five years over subsidies given to aircraft makers Airbus and Boeing.
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