May and Trump clash yet again over trade war risk

Theresa May has told Donald Trump of her “deep concern” at the US president’s plan to introduce tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the United States – a move that has sparked fears of a trade war.

The Prime Minister’s de facto deputy, David Lidington, had earlier rebuked Mr Trump for threatening a trade battle with the European Union.

Following a phone call between Mrs May and the president yesterday, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister raised our deep concern at the president’s forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminium tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties’ interests.”

The conversation marks the latest in the pair’s clashes following disagreements over Mr Trump’s retweeting of antimuslim videos posted by the far-right group Britain First and his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Mr Lidington told BBC One’s Sunday Politics programme: “I just think that the United States is not taking an advisable course in threatening a trade war.

“Trade wars don’t do anybody any good.”