Starmer under fire over American tariffs on UK steel as industry still faces a 25% levy

Britain’s struggling steel industry last night called for American tariffs to be axed ‘once and for all’ – nearly three months after a deal to do so was struck.

Steel exported from the UK to the US still faces a tariff of 25 per cent despite an agreement in early May to cut it to zero alongside the levy on cars and aerospace.

Most other British goods entering the US face a 10 per cent levy – which thanks to Brexit is lower than the 15 per cent Donald Trump agreed with the EU.

Sir Keir Starmer is understood to have pressed the President to finally reduce tariffs on British steel to zero as agreed during talks in Scotland yesterday.

That would give the UK a welcome competitive advantage given steel imported by America from much of the rest of the world faces a 50 per cent tariff.

But the White House remains concerned about how the deal would work. Industry bosses warned the delay is costing jobs.

‘There has been nearly three months of uncertainty for business, of whether we should export our steel or delay a little bit,’ said UK Steel director general Gareth Stace.

‘The President and Prime Minister must settle the zero-tariff deal once and for all.

‘UK steelmakers are losing contracts with their most critical clients in the US, and every passing day without a deal puts more jobs at risk.’