May heads to world summit with Trump trade war topping agenda

THERESA MAY was last night heading to a gathering of leaders from the world’s richest nations set to be dominated by the looming trade war triggered by Donald Trump.

The Prime Minister was on her way to Canada to join leaders from Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the host country in confronting the US president over the imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminium.

The meeting of G7 leaders in Charlevoix, Quebec, today and tomorrow follows a stormy gathering of the countries’ finance ministers earlier this month where the US was left isolated.

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire described the situation as more of a “G6 plus one than a G7” because of the rift caused by the refusal to exempt allies of the US from the 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and the 10% duty on aluminium. The European Commission has confirmed it intends to hit back with retaliatory tariffs from July on US imports ranging from jeans to bourbon whiskey.

In a phone call on Monday, Mrs May told Mr Trump the US decision to apply tariffs to EU steel and aluminium imports was “unjustified and deeply disappointing” and promised to raise the issue with him at the G7 summit.

The US is also at odds with the EU nations over the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate change accord, both of which Mr Trump has pulled out of.

On Wednesday, German chancellor Angela Merkel predicted difficult talks at the G7 summit as a result of the US actions. “It is apparent that we have a serious problem with multilateral agreements here, and so there will be contentious discussions,” she said.