Imposed in 2018 by Donald Trump, these tariffs triggered a commercial war at which these agreements aim to end.
Le Monde with AFP
The United States has found an agreement with the United Kingdom to end punitive tariffs on British steel and aluminum and US retaliation on US products, announced Tuesday, March 22 the US secretary at the US secretary. Trade Gina Raimondo and Ambassador to Trade Katherine Tai in a common statement.
Himing an “essential agreement”, M me Raimondo and M me tai explained that it “will not only help to ensure the long-term viability of our steel and aluminum industries, protecting American jobs but also will also rise the customs duties set up in retaliation on more than $ 500 million in US exports to the United Kingdom, including Spirits, various agricultural products and consumer goods “, in allusion to the measures imposed in 2018 by former President Donald Trump and the measures of retaliation taken by the European Union, of which the United Kingdom was then a member.” p>
This announcement was made after a visit to the United States of the British Minister of International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan. Earlier, M Trevelyan had been optimistic about the possibility of an agreement on this litigation that pollute relations between the two countries.
“Historic volumes”
The two countries had announced in January the launch of tractings to put an end to this litigation inherited from the Trump era. The United Kingdom was one of the many countries that were imposed additional tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum in June 2018, in the middle of the road. The Biden administration had already found agreements with the European Union in October 2021, but these did not apply in the United Kingdom due to Brexit.
In concrete terms, this new agreement will allow to import “historical and sustainable volumes of British steel and aluminum products without the application of the rates of Article 232”, have detailed US officials.
In addition, “this agreement requires that any British steel company owned by a Chinese entity undertake an audit (…) to assess the influence of the Government of the People’s Republic of China”. “The results of these audits must also be shared with the United States,” said M me Tai and M me Raimondo.