On March 22, the U.S. reached a deal with the United Kingdom to partially lift tariffs on steel and aluminum exports from the U.K. beginning June 1, according to constructiondive.com.
The U.K. will be able to export 500,000 metric tons of finished steel and 900,000 metric tons of aluminum into the U.S. duty-free before tariffs take effect. In return, the U.K. will lift approximately $500 million worth of tariffs on U.S. products such as whiskey and blue jeans.
The deal eases duties imposed in 2018 by former President Donald Trump, which included 25% tariffs on steel imports and 10% tariffs on aluminum imports as part of a strategy to prioritize domestic production and address an overcapacity of steel in China.
The agreement with the U.K. follows similar deals the U.S. made to ease steel and aluminum tariffs with Japan and the European Union.
The deal also requires U.K.-based steel producers owned by companies in China to undergo a financial audit to evaluate whether there are any market distorting practices that “would materially contribute to non-market excess capacity of steel.” Aluminum shipments are subject to novel “smelt and cast” provisions, and producers must prove products contain no aluminum from Belarus, China or Russia.
“Today’s historic deal is a testament to that ambitious goal and will benefit America’s steel and aluminum industries and workers by protecting manufacturing, as well as consumers, by easing inflationary pressures in the U.S.,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in a statement. “By allowing for a flow of duty-free steel and aluminum from the U.K., we further ease the gap between supply and demand for these products in the United States.”
