UK officials hope that the steel industry avoids a 50 % tariff in the United States

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UK officials hope to avoid the country’s steel industry with a 50 percent tariff by Donald Trump when the end date ends on Wednesday for countries to negotiate tariff deals with the US President.

In London, he is held in extensive talks with Washington to implement the “Economic Partnership” agreement signed on both sides on May 8. The zero -zero share of steel makers in the UK was offered, but it was not agreed after two months.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Sir Kerr Starmer said on Monday that the government was working to finish the deal “as soon as possible”, but it was unable to determine when this will be done.

However, two senior UK officials have reduced the risk of being 25 percent tariff UK steel makers will be raised to 50 percent when the deadline passed on Wednesday for other countries to conclude negotiations at the end of a 90 -day stoppage period on “mutual tariff”. Trump announced this procedure on April 2.

In a sign of the White House’s design on clicking on countries to agree to deals, Trump said on Monday he would be imposed Definitions of 25 percent On the goods from Japan and South Korea from August 1.

Last month, he announced it was Doubling The US global steel tariff to 50 percent, but it has exempted the UK from the increase, pending the completion of the negotiations.

But he also warned that “in or after” the deadline on July 9 for mutual tariff deals “may” may increase the rates of duty in force to 50 percent “if the UK does not comply with the relevant aspects of the economic partnership deal.

Two senior officials who have knowledge of discussions said they are confident that the United Kingdom’s steel industry will avoid this worst scenario.

One of them said: “I think a firm belief that we will not see by 25 percent that we currently rose on July 9,” adding that the issue was raised directly with US officials last week in talks in Washington.

Another said that the situation in the United Kingdom was complicated because of the fact that the United States was negotiating with other related commercial partners, adding that the “intense” bureaucracy needed more time to solve issues.

UK Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds has revealed that an American condition for steel for “melting and educated” in her country of origin in order to qualify to treat preferential tariff is the main point of adhesion. At present, not all steel in the United Kingdom.

Separately, a commercial body that represents steel users in the United Kingdom warned that ministers’ movements to protect the steel industry are an abundance of cheap international imports that risk deficiency and high prices of manufacturers.

The International Steel Trading Association has warned that the UK’s decision to impose an additional tariff for steel from countries including Vietnam, South Korea and Algeria Last week It would harm “ports, tankers, all of which deal and use steel.”

This intervention came after Reynolds abolished the UK’s commercial aids authority – which advises the government regarding commercial defense measures – to take additional steps to defend steel.

Julian Verne, President of ISTA, said Reynolds “ignored” the recommendations of user groups in favor of protecting UK producers, who said it was a “firm interest” in creating a monopoly to honor industry and other steel consumers.

And Andrew Gardner, the director of purchases at the Hadley Group, one of the largest user of the United Kingdom of the galvanized steel in construction and manufacturing spare parts, said that reducing imports from Vietnam and South Korea “will remove access to low -quality steel, with low prices, and may lead to increased costs and leads to the need for final users to rely on quality steel.”

But the United Kingdom, which represents the producers including Tata Steel and British Steel, rejected ISTA claims and said that global steel prices were non -sustainable to UK producers.

The government said it “is working to protect our (steel) industry from unfair competition.”

She added that Reynolds “concluded that it is the public reformer to reject the TRA recommendation to ensure the effectiveness of the steel protection management of local producers, as well as the need for the safety of the offer.”