
Trump says outcome will be known ‘pretty soon' over steel tariffs
It remains to be seen whether tariffs on British steel imports into America will be eliminated, remain at 25% where they currently stand, or increase further.
Asked by reporters at the top of his meeting with Sir Keir Starmer when the cost of steel tariffs will come down, Mr Trump said: 'We're gonna know pretty soon, we're gonna have it pretty soon.
'These people are tough negotiators, OK. We're a big buyer of steel, but we're going to make our own steel and we're going to make our own aluminium for the most part.
'But we buy a lot of aluminium from right here and a lot of steel too.'
In a readout after the meeting, Downing Street said the leaders spoke about the 'economic prosperity deal' reached earlier this year to ease US tariffs on the UK.
'The leaders remarked on how beneficial the deal is for working people in the UK and the US and agreed to continue to work together to build further on their close and strong economic relationship,' a spokesperson said.
When the UK and US signed a trade deal in June, it reduced tariffs on car and aerospace imports to the US.
Agreement on a similar arrangement for Britain's steel imports was not reached, leaving tariffs on steel at 25%.
American concerns over steel products made elsewhere in the world, then finished in the UK, are said to be among the sticking points.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds had suggested it may take more than Monday's meeting between the two leaders to resolve the matter, telling BBC Breakfast: 'We were very happy to announce the breakthrough that we had a few months ago in relation to sectors like automotive, aerospace, which are really important to the UK economy.
'But we always said it was job saved, but it wasn't job done. There's more to do.
'The negotiations have been going on on a daily basis since then. There's a few issues to push a little bit further today.
'We won't perhaps have anything to announce a resolution of those talks, but there's some sectors that we still need to resolve, particularly around steel and aluminium, and there's the wider conversation about what the US calls its reciprocal tariffs.'
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Scotsman
18 minutes ago
- Scotsman
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Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Well, well, despite all the scare stories, Donald Trump's four-day visit went exactly as planned. Contrary to the dire predictions of some, our policing system was not brought to its knees by a long weekend's work. If our community policing model could just survive the year of extractions caused by the 84/85 Miners Strike, it could surely withstand the extra demands of four days. It was, however, a tricky operation, with more than two venues and a lot of outside exposure for a president who has recently survived two assassination attempts, and appears to be 'catnip' for extremists. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But now that Air Force One is well away and the pointless placards put away 'til next time, we can safely reflect on the fact that the presidential visit has actually benefited our police service. Let me explain. READ MORE: Deer put down after being hit by police car in Aberdeenshire ahead of Trump visit Police Scotland officers guard the Trump Turnberry golf course ahead of Donald Trump's arrival in Scotland (Picture: Christopher Furlong) | Getty Images Ensuring match fitness Police Scotland, whether in its recent national incarceration or its old constituent forces, had a well-deserved reputation for the professional handling of major events. Next to London, Edinburgh had more major and royal events than any other city in the UK. The west of Scotland was also highly experienced. The continuous exposure to the ritual hate fest which is 'Old Firm' football ensures that police in and around Glasgow always knew how to control hostile crowds. But experience has a shelf-life and the preparedness of police forces to deal with complex and major events depends on 'match fitness'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The last truly major event in Scotland was the initial phase of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth in 2022, and, while it was logistically tricky, there was very little real threat. You have to go back to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow the previous year to find a major event that tested all aspects of police planning and operations. But that was four years ago, and things change quickly at the top of policing. Almost all the senior officers involved in COP26 have now moved on and been replaced by officers, who though able have not actually been in the hot seat. For you can plan all you like, run exercises all day long, but there is no substitute for the real thing. Regardless of contingencies, things go wrong as soon as real people become involved. Small mistakes can turn into big problems, and before you know it you are reacting to incidents rather than driving the operation. Trump's habit of going 'off script' In the case of President Trump's visit, there were good points and bad. It was not a state visit with high-risk public processions in crowded streets. On the other hand, golf links, while remote, are vast open spaces and difficult to protect. Transport routes were also tricky, with lots of minor roads to be protected from disruption. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And the US Secret Service would have been on edge, with the recent assassination attempts and their president's habit of impromptu 'off-script' behaviour adding to the tension. But in the end, it all came good, as I was sure it would. The plan worked, and all the little things that went wrong were sorted quickly and without fuss. So congratulations to the event 'Gold Commander', Assistant Chief Emma Bond, and all her team. Another big job well done, lessons learned and valuable experience banked.


Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Spotlight on Keir Starmer's recognition of Palestine
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