UK's trade with US strongly affected by tariffs

The United States remains Britain's largest goods export partner and third-largest goods import partner

President Donald Trump addressing the media / X/@WhiteHouse

The United Kingdom's trade with the United States has been notably affected by tariffs levied by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed.

 Britain's goods exports to the United States, excluding precious metals, fell by 1.5 billion pounds (2.03 billion U.S. dollars) or 24.7 per cent in April 2025 following the introduction of the tariffs and have remained relatively low since, the ONS said on May 1.

Specifically, its exports of cars to the United States have fallen since the introduction of tariffs and have remained below pre-tariff levels since April 2025.

Meanwhile, Britain's goods imports from the United States, excluding precious metals, have exceeded its goods exports to the United States for three consecutive months since December 2025, reports Xinhua news agency.

ALSO READ: Trump warns countries that 'play games' with U.S. trade deals will face higher tariffs

The United States remains Britain's largest goods export partner and third-largest goods import partner, the ONS said.

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has introduced a range of tariffs on imported goods, including a blanket 10 per cent tariff on most imports from Britain, announced in April 2025, according to the ONS.

In May 2025, the two countries reached a deal that included reducing the tariff on a certain number of British car exports to the United States and removing tariffs on steel and aluminium exports, provided they meet supply chain security requirements, it added. 

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has also said that it will "keep options open" to protect its interests if the United States takes measures inconsistent with the joint statement between the two sides signed last year on reciprocal, fair and balanced trade, a European Commission spokesperson told Xinhua. 

"We remain fully committed to a predictable, mutually beneficial transatlantic relationship. Should the U.S. take measures inconsistent with the Joint Statement, we will keep our options open to protect EU interests," the spokesperson said.

The remarks came after Trump's latest threat earlier on the day that he would raise tariffs to 25 per cent on cars and trucks imported from the EU from next week, accusing the bloc of failing to comply with the agreement.

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