UK ‘should halt’ trade talks if Trump imposes gin tariffs
BRITONS back a tough stance in trade negotiations, new polling reveals, with the public in favour of walking away from a deal with the US if it brings in new tariffs.
A Yougov poll, seen exclusively by The Daily Telegraph, found that 41 per cent of the public are in favour of halting trade talks if Donald Trump hikes prices on British products, with just one in three behind continuing them.
The US president is threatening to bring in a 25 per cent levy on gin, vodka and blended whisky as part of an ongoing trade dispute with the EU.
Despite concerns over tariffs, those polled believe that the US is the second most important trading power after the EU. Half of those polled said that Britain should prioritise a deal with Brussels, while 35 per cent thought trade with America should come first.
Australia and Canada followed closely, with 27 and 24 per cent respectively, while Russia is at the bottom of the wish list for a potential trade deal.
However, the new polling, commissioned by the UK Spirits Alliance, also found that 53 per cent of adults do not trust the Government to protect the interests of businesses during trade talks.
It comes amid fears that President
Trump will bring in new tariffs this week, as part of a long-running row over subsidies to plane maker Airbus.
The US Trade Representative said it was considering duties on 30 products worth £2.5 billion in trade every year.
Liz Truss, the International Trade Secretary said she was “outraged” by the threat of price hikes on products such as gin.
She said additional tariffs would be “hugely detrimental” to negotiations.
Meanwhile, Stilton has emerged as an obstacle to finalising a trade deal with Japan.
Britain is seeking more preferential terms for its blue cheeses amid pressure from British farmers concerned about the loss of EU subsidies, according to the Nikkei Asian Review business newspaper.
Ms Truss hopes to secure a symbolic Stilton “win” to show the UK can secure a better deal than the one obtained by the EU, the Financial Times reports.