Reynolds to make case for UK steel industry on US visit

The Business Secretary is expected to raise the interests of Britain’s steel industry in talks on a potential UK-US economic deal as he visits Washington after Donald Trump said there would be no exemptions to his metal tariffs.

Jonathan Reynolds will seek to advance “pragmatic and positive” discussions on transatlantic trade as he meets his White House counterpart on Tuesday, the Government said.

Mr Reynolds will hold the first in-person talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to take place under the new administration.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said Mr Reynolds would “represent the interests of key industries including the UK steel sector and will kick off talks on securing a wider economic deal” on the visit.

Unlike the European Union, which announced counter-measures on a range of American goods, the UK Government has resisted taking immediate retaliatory action against the tariffs.

But ministers have expressed disappointment in the move and said “all options” remain on the table to respond in the national interest.

Speaking ahead of the talks, the Business Secretary said: “Protecting and growing the industries that power the UK and play a key role in delivering our Plan for Change is a priority for this government.

“Today’s visit to Washington DC is the latest step in our pragmatic and positive engagement with the new administration to agree a wider economic deal in both our interests.

“The UK and US share a fair and balanced relationship, one that has benefited both sides for many decades, and we will both benefit as we strengthen this relationship further.”

Asked whether the Business Secretary would be seeking to secure an exemption to the tariffs in his discussions this week, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “I’m not going to get ahead of his talks, but he’s going to to continue these discussions on a wider economic deal with the US and that’s what we’re focused on at the moment.”

The Government said around 5% of UK steel exports and 6% of aluminium exports by volume go to the US, although trade bodies for both industries claim that is an underestimate of the scale of shipments across the Atlantic.

The move is the latest blow to a steel industry, which has seen thousands of job losses in recent years due to issues including global competition, high energy costs and the shift to cleaner technologies.