UK PM Starmer says ‘all options on the table’ after Trump’s steel, aluminium tariffs

London, Mar 12 (PTI) Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday said the UK will keep “all options on the table” after US President Donald Trump imposed blanket 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from across the globe.

During the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) session in the House of Commons, Starmer was asked by Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey about retaliatory moves as he urged him to be “more robust” in the face of American trade tariffs which would impact many UK businesses.

The UK PM expressed disappointment at the latest White House actions, which are designed to champion US manufacturing by making foreign-made products less attractive.

“On the question of tariffs, like everybody else I’m disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminium, but we will take a pragmatic approach,” Starmer told Parliament.

“We are negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed but we will keep all options on the table,” he said.

His intervention came soon after his Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, issued a statement to say remained focussed on “rapidly negotiating” a wider economic agreement with the US to eliminate additional tariffs and benefit UK businesses and economy.

“I will continue to engage closely and productively with the US to press the case for UK business interests. We will keep all options on the table and won’t hesitate to respond in the national interest,” said Reynolds.

“Meanwhile we remain resolute in our support for UK industry. This government is working with affected companies today, and I back industry’s application to the Trade Remedies Authority to investigate what further steps might be necessary to protect UK producers,” he added.

The tariffs threaten to make the cost of items as varied as cars and soft drink cans more expensive. Canada is the biggest exporter of both steel and aluminium to the US and expected to be the worst hit. The European Union (EU) has already retaliated after President Ursula von der Leyen said tariffs bring uncertainty for the economy.

“Jobs are at stake, prices up, nobody needs that, on both sides, neither in the EU or the US," she said, adding that the economic bloc’s retaliatory tariffs were "strong but proportionate" and that the EU remains "open to negotiations".

The EU tariffs on certain US products will be partially introduced on April 1 and fully in place by April 13.

India, meanwhile, is in discussion over a bilateral trade agreement with the US, with the government indicating that it is braced against Trump's tariff friendly approach to trade.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was asked about the issue during his visit to the UK last week, when he pointed to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to Washington to discuss a bilateral trade pact. This followed discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump at the White House last month.

“We had a very open conversation about it (tariffs) and the result of that (Modi-Trump_ conversation was that we agreed on the need for a bilateral trade agreement,” said Jaishankar. PTI AK SCY