Donald Trump brands trade agreements 'stupid' as Theresa May prepares to confront him over steel tariffs

The PM said she was 'disappointed' with Mr Trump's decision
PA Wire/PA Images
Martin Coulter2 June 2018
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Donald Trump has blasted current trade agreements between the US and other nations as "stupid" after imposing harsh new tariffs on steel imports.

Taking to Twitter, the president wrote: "The United States must, at long last, be treated fairly on Trade.

"If we charge a country ZERO to sell their goods, and they charge us 25, 50 or even 100 percent to sell ours, it is UNFAIR and can no longer be tolerated.

"That is not Free or Fair Trade, it is Stupid Trade!"

Theresa May will use the forthcoming G7 meeting in Canada to press the US to reverse tariffs introduced on European steel and aluminium, Liam Fox has said.

The decision by the US leader to slap 25 per cent and 10 per cent tariffs respectively on the metal imports was wrong and illegal, the International Trade Secretary insisted.

But while he said EU counter-actions had so far been proportionate, he cautioned against measures that might spark a full-blown trade war.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the UK was still seeking tariff exemptions based both on specific products and also geographic location.

Mr Trump's charges have been branded 'illegal'
PA Wire/PA Images

He followed the lead taken by Theresa May on Friday in drawing a link between UK steel imports and US national security projects.

Dr Fox told Today: "We will still be making that case throughout this week.

"We of course have the G7 leaders meeting at the end of the week where the Prime Minister will be raising this with President Trump alongside other leaders."

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He added: "The United States believes, I believe wrongly and illegally, that this is a national security matter for the US.

"Given that we export some pretty complex steel products to the US which are part of their national security programmes themselves, this reasoning that is given is wrong and therefore we believe unlawful."

Mr Trump originally imposed the tariffs in March, saying a reliance on imported metals threatened national security.

But he exempted Canada, Mexico and the European Union to buy time for negotiations, a reprieve that expired at midnight on Thursday.

Theresa May on Friday described Mr Trump's decision to hit EU steel and aluminium imports to the US with tariffs as "unjustified".

The Prime Minister said she was "disappointed" at the decision to impose a 25 per cent duty on European steel and a 10 per cent duty on European aluminium, which both came into effect on Friday.

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She added her voice to calls for British and European products to be exempt from the charges, saying they contributed to US national security projects.

It came after the EU said it would introduce retaliatory tariffs after Mr Trump's "illegal" and "dangerous" decision.

Mrs May said: "I am deeply disappointed at the unjustified decision by the US to apply tariffs to EU steel and aluminium imports.

"The US, EU and UK are close allies and have always promoted values of open and fair trade across the world.

"Our steel and aluminium industries are hugely important to the UK, but they also contribute to US industry including in defence projects which bolster US national security.

"The EU and UK should be permanently exempted from tariffs and we will continue to work together to protect and safeguard our workers and industries."

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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