USTR in No Hurry to Complete UK Steel Tariff Talks

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai indicated that the country is in no hurry to take up talks with the UK on easing of tariffs on steel and aluminum. Speaking at an online event hosted by the Institute of International and European Affairs, she said that the talks will be pursued “when the time is right”.

According to Tai, the U.S. administration is very keen about the Northern Ireland border issues between the UK and the European Union (EU). The U.S. has always been in support of the Good Friday Agreement that calls for open borders. The Biden administration wants the UK and EU to arrive at a durable solution, which in turn will guarantee peace in Northern Ireland, Tai added.

The USTR noted that the country took almost six months to reach the tariff-rate-quota system with the European Union. Furthermore, it has started discussions with Japan on arriving at an alternative solution in place of the Section 232 tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum. The UK is very much on minds and it will engage in talks with the country at the right time, it said.

The UK has been calling for early negotiations with the U.S. on removal of tariffs, with the British Trade Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan extending an invitation to the U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to visit London early in the New Year to initiate the talks.