UK trade minister to meet USTR Greer to discuss implementing tariff deal
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds walks at Downing Street, on the day of a Cabinet meeting in London, Britain, January 7, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's trade minister Jonathan Reynolds will meet U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of a trade deal that has been complicated by the announcement of fresh U.S. tariffs on steel.
Reynolds will review recently agreed deals with counterparts from the U.S. and EU, Britain's two biggest trading partners, during a three-day trip to Paris and Brussels this week.
The deals struck last month are both political pacts rather than formal trade agreements, and the details of their implementation have not been set out.
Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to reduce tariffs on British imports of cars and steel to the United States, but its delayed implementation means tariffs may go up before they come down.
Last week, Trump said that tariffs on imported steel would rise to 50% from 25% from Wednesday. Industry body UK Steel said it understood that British producers would likely be impacted by the change, which would be a "body blow" to the sector.
A British government spokesperson said the UK was engaging with the United States on the implications of the announcement ahead of Reynolds' meeting with Greer to discuss implementation timelines of the bilateral agreement in Paris.
"We recognise our relationship with G7 allies and EU counterparts must continue to evolve and deliver a better trading environment for our businesses and exporters," Reynolds said in a statement ahead of the trip.
Reynolds will also meet Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal to discuss a recently negotiated Free Trade Agreement, which is still having its legal text finalised and is subject to ratification in both countries, which could take months.
After meetings with G7 and OECD counterparts in Paris, Reynolds will hold talks with EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic.
As part of efforts to reset ties without fundamentally reopening the Brexit deal, Britain and the EU have agreed to conclude talks to remove red tape on its food trade, but details of the plan have yet to be finalised.
In advance of that agreement coming into force, Britain on Monday said it would scrap border checks on fruit and vegetables imported from the European Union, that had been due to be effective beginning in July.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout;Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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