Speaking at an online event of the Institute of International and European Affairs, US trade representative Katherine Tai stated that the country will hold discussions on Section 232 tariffs to complete a deal with the UK when the time is right.
“We just need to have a process that makes sense, but the UK is very much on our minds and I am confident that we will take this up when the time is right. It’s a matter of pragmatism,” Tai said.
The US trade representative stated that the negotiations with the UK will be based on the efforts to deal with global excess capacity mainly centered in China. She noted that the agreement on Section 232 tariffs between the US and the EU, for which the negotiations took six months, is significant in terms of addressing global steel and aluminum excess capacity and the serious threat those market distortions pose to the climate.
The UK has been eager to have a further discussion on Section 232 tariffs with the US in January, as SteelOrbis previously reported. Meanwhile, the US has already started discussions on Section 232 tariffs with Japan.