A dangerous post-Brexit world
Britain risks being an unwitting victim of EU-US trade wars
THIS WEEK’S announcement that the European Union plans to impose harsh tariffs on steel imports was particularly painful for Britain. Donald Trump had already slapped 25% tariffs on British steel exports to America, despite earlier hopes that he might be persuaded to reduce the rate to zero. But the European market matters far more than the American one, accounting for as much as 80% of British steel exports. Nearly half of the 4m tonnes of steel produced in Britain every year goes to the bloc. If the EU sticks to its guns, it will cut its tariff-free quota of imports by half and impose a 50% tariff on the rest.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Brexit fallout”
From the October 11th 2025 edition
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