Economics
Trump’s Tariff Threats Drive New Wedge Between UK and Europe
- US leader vows trade action against EU while praising Starmer
- Moves raise stakes for UK prime minister’s reset with Brussels
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Prime Minister Keir Starmer had hoped to spend Monday marking a new milestone in the UK’s much-promised reset with the European Union five years after Brexit. Instead, he received a dramatic reminder of how much harder that will be with Donald Trump back in the White House.
As Starmer attended a European leaders meeting in Brussels, Trump approved — and then suspended — tariffs of as much as 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico, and vowed to subject Europe to similar treatment soon. The UK would probably be spared for now, the US president said: “That one can be worked out.”