
US automakers blast Trump's UK trade deal
New York – The Trump administration's latest trade deal with Britain unfairly penalizes US automakers that have partnered with Canada and Mexico, a trade group representing Detroit automakers said Thursday.
In a sharply-worded statement, the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) said the US-UK trade deal 'hurts American automakers, suppliers, and auto workers,' according to the group's president Matt Blunt.
The deal unveiled Thursday between US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer lowers the tariff on British vehicles to 10 percent from 27.5 percent on the first 100,000 cars shipped from Britain to the United States.
In contrast, AAPC members Ford, General Motors Company and Jeep-maker Stellantis now face import tariffs of 25 percent on autos assembled in Canada and Mexico. The Detroit companies organized their supply chains around the 2020 US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which Trump negotiated in his first term.
'We are disappointed that the administration prioritized the UK ahead of our North American partners,' Blunt said. 'Under this deal, it will now be cheaper to import a UK vehicle with very little US content than a USMCA compliant vehicle from Mexico or Canada that is half American parts.'
Trump last week unveiled some steps to lessen the impact of tariffs on imported auto parts in moves applauded by GM and Ford.
The Trump administration will allow companies that assemble autos in the United States to deduct a fraction of the cost of imported parts for two years to give the industry enough time to relocate supply chains.
In another change, the administration said companies wouldn't face a 25 percent levy on imported steel or aluminum in addition to a 25 percent levy for an imported vehicle.
But last weeks' changes did not soften the 25 percent tariff on imported finished autos.
The Trump administration plans to negotiate separate agreements with Japan, South Korea and the European Union, all of which export finished autos to the United States.
'We hope this preferential access for UK vehicles over North American ones does not set a precedent for future negotiations with Asian and European competitors,' Blunt said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Shafaq News
4 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Houthis warn: Iran won't stand alone if war ignites
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Yemen's Ansarallah group (Houthis) voiced full support for Iran in the event of an attack by the United States or Israel. The member of the group's political bureau Abdullah Al-Nuami told Shafaq News that 'the group will stand firmly with Iran and will never abandon it in the face of any American or Israeli aggression.' He did not clarify the nature of the intervention in support of the Islamic Republic. Iran's relationship with Ansarallah has developed over the past two decades through ideological, logistical, and military cooperation. While not a direct proxy, the Houthis have become a key regional ally for Tehran. Earlier, a source from Iraq's Resistance Coordination Committee revealed that the group is set to hold a high-level meeting in the coming hoursto discuss the latest regional escalation, ongoing US threats, and the possibility of war against Iran.


Shafaq News
4 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraqi armed groups to meet over growing threat to Iran
Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee (IRCC) will hold a key meeting within hours, amid growing consensus among armed factions to intervene directly if Iran comes under military attack, a source revealed to Shafaq News on Thursday. IRCC is a body for various Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups, particularly those that have been part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI). it emerged in October 2020 and has been involved in actions against US forces and Israel. 'The factions have unanimously agreed to engage directly in any war targeting Iran, whether led by the United States or Israel. However, political and governmental pressure is mounting on certain faction leaders to avoid involvement in any imminent regional escalation,' the source revealed. He further pointed out that the meeting will include most of the armed factions in Iraq and be attended by senior faction leaders to discuss the latest regional escalation, ongoing US threats, and the possibility of war against Iran, 'to outline the role of the factions should conflict erupt.' Earlier, the Secretary-General of the Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Abu Alaa Al-Walai, threatened to send dozens of suicide fighters to strike American interests in the event of war with Iran.


Shafaq News
7 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Global Coalition reinforces Syria bases despite US drawdown Shafaq
News/ The US-led coalition deployed extensive military and logistical reinforcements to its bases in northeastern Syria over the past two days, Shafaq News correspondent reported on Thursday. More than 100 trucks carrying military equipment and logistical supplies crossed from Iraq through the Al-Waleed border crossing to coalition bases in Syria's Hasakah province, according to the correspondent, who informed that the convoy included military vehicles, fuel, water, food supplies, and sealed trucks believed to contain weapons and ammunition. The trucks were dispatched to bases in Khrab al-Jeer, Qasrak, and Al-Shaddadi in rural Hasakah. The reinforcements arrived despite recent announcements from Washington regarding the reduction of US troops in Syria and the closure of at least three military bases. A source from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told Shafaq News that US forces remain stationed at their bases in the Kurdish-controlled areas of northeastern Syria, confirming that weekly deliveries of military and logistical equipment are ongoing. He also noted that the Coalition, in coordination with the SDF, continues to monitor ISIS cells 'to prevent the group from exploiting the current situation to reorganize or carry out attacks in Syria.' Meanwhile, the SDF announced on Wednesday that it had carried out a security operation in cooperation with the coalition in the town of Al-Mansoura, west of Raqqa, targeting an ISIS cell. The statement said the operation followed close surveillance and led to the arrest of two prominent members of the group: Abdul Sattar Abdul Fattah Al-Mohammed, known as "Abu Amira," and his brother Mohammed Abdul Fattah Al-Mohammed, known as "Abu Al-Baraa," both from Al-Mansoura, who are involved in manufacturing improvised explosive devices and car bombs at a metal workshop used to produce silencers and explosives. The SDF reaffirmed its commitment to continuing security operations against the Islamic State, pointing out that the group's attempts to exploit instability in the country would be met with 'firm resistance' to safeguard civilians and public institutions in the region.