US will aim for UK to lower its automotive tariff - WSJ
The United States is preparing its terms for trade talks with the United Kingdom, according to people familiar with the plans, aiming for London to reduce levies and other non-tariff barriers on a wide range of US goods.
The US President Donald Trump administration will aim for the UK to reduce its automotive tariff from 10% to 2.5%, according to people with knowledge of a draft document the Trump administration circulated to stakeholders this week outlining goals for trade talks with the U.K.
Additionally, Washington will also push the UK to relax rules on agricultural imports from the US, including beef, and revise rules of origin for goods from each nation.
Market reaction
At the press time, the GBP/USD pair was down 0.44% on the day to trade at 1.3270.
Tariffs FAQs
Tariffs are customs duties levied on certain merchandise imports or a category of products. Tariffs are designed to help local producers and manufacturers be more competitive in the market by providing a price advantage over similar goods that can be imported. Tariffs are widely used as tools of protectionism, along with trade barriers and import quotas.
Although tariffs and taxes both generate government revenue to fund public goods and services, they have several distinctions. Tariffs are prepaid at the port of entry, while taxes are paid at the time of purchase. Taxes are imposed on individual taxpayers and businesses, while tariffs are paid by importers.
There are two schools of thought among economists regarding the usage of tariffs. While some argue that tariffs are necessary to protect domestic industries and address trade imbalances, others see them as a harmful tool that could potentially drive prices higher over the long term and lead to a damaging trade war by encouraging tit-for-tat tariffs.
During the run-up to the presidential election in November 2024, Donald Trump made it clear that he intends to use tariffs to support the US economy and American producers. In 2024, Mexico, China and Canada accounted for 42% of total US imports. In this period, Mexico stood out as the top exporter with $466.6 billion, according to the US Census Bureau. Hence, Trump wants to focus on these three nations when imposing tariffs. He also plans to use the revenue generated through tariffs to lower personal income taxes.