UK stocks plunged immediately after markets opened this morning as chaos caused by Donald Trump’s tariffs take effect.
London’s FTSE 100 Index dropped sharply on opening, falling 122.4 points or 1.4% to 8486.09 after President Trump unveiled sweeping new taxes on US imports.
World leaders have reacted with fury over and branded a ‘major blow’ to the global economy.
The president imposed a 10% baseline tariff on all imports – which the UK must now pay – but many of America’s biggest trading partners have been hit by a far higher rate.
Live updates below
Price rises and more Chinese products: How Trump tariffs will affect UK consumers
A leading economist has predicted UK consumers will see price rises and more Chinese products on the shelves as a result of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Joe Nellis, a professor of global economy at Cranfield School of Management and economic adviser to MHA, said:
How will this effect UK consumers? Prices will most likely rise almost immediately, particularly for goods such as electronics, so inflation is certainly a worry. However, we are likely to see some trade diversion.
Goods that would have gone from China to US could instead be diverted to the UK to avoid heavy tariffs — cheap goods could reduce inflation in UK but would impact businesses as they are forced to compete with foreign businesses flooding the market with cheap goods. If this was to happen it would take some time for the effects to kick in, and it will not even necessarily happen.
Economist says UK has avoided a direct blow
Lindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter:
For the UK, facing a 10% tariff, it has perhaps got off more lightly compared to other countries and the European Union.
But this is still significant and will hit industries hard, particularly given the likes of car manufacturers face an even harsher rate.
Whether or not this latest round of tariffs is additional to those already announced remains uncertain, as does the extent of any opportunity to negotiate.
‘Not the act of a friend’: How the world reacted to Trump’s tariff salvo
Foreign leaders and governments reacted with fury last night after Donald Trump announced his sweeping reciprocal tariffs which threaten to spark a global trade war.
The US President vowed to stop the US being ‘pillaged’, ‘raped’ and ‘brutalised’ so has unveiled reciprocal tariffs on all foreign nations, calling it America’s ‘Declaration of Economic Independence’.
Let’s see how the world reacted to the ‘Liberation Day’ measures:
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
It’s essential to act with purpose and with force, and that’s what we will do
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen
We [the EU] are already finalising the first package of countermeasures in response to tariffs on steel. We’re now preparing for further countermeasures to protect our interests and our businesses if negotiations fail.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
This is not the act of a friend. It is the American people who will pay the biggest price for these unjustified tariffs. This is why our government will not be seeking to impose reciprocal tariffs. We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth.
Chinese commerce ministry
China urges the United States to immediately cancel its unilateral tariff measures and properly resolve differences with its trading partners through equal dialogue.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin
We see no justification for this. More than €4.2bn worth of goods and services are traded between the EU and the US daily… Tariffs drive inflation, hurt people on both sides of the Atlantic, and put jobs at risk.
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum
It’s not a question of if you impose tariffs on me, I’m going to impose tariffs on you. Our interest is in strengthening the Mexican economy.
Shadow home secretary says PM far too slow on trade talks with US
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary has hit out at the Prime Minister for being ‘far, far too slow’ to start trade talks with the White House.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today Programme he added that the 10 percent baseline tariff rate on the UK ‘is not based on any negociating genius from the government’.
Dozens and dozens of countries have the 10pc tariff, which is not based on any sort of negotiating genius by the Government, it is based on the USA’s assessment of our tariffs and other obstacles.
Of course our cars, which is the largest goods sector we export, is going to be whacked with 25percent.
And I would add that we are getting a lower rate than Europe because of Brexit and the fact that we can have separate tariff arrangements.
Keir Starmer – I will act in Britain’s interests
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told business chiefs he will act in Britain’s interests today as he discussed the economic impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The Prime Minister has promised the Government would respond with ‘cool and calm heads’ after Trump slapped a 10% tariff on US imports of UK goods.
Sir Keir told business chiefs in Downing Street that the US President ‘acted for his country, and that is his mandate.
‘Today, I will act in Britain’s interests with mine.’
He said the UK was ‘prepared’ and that ‘one of the great strengths of this nation is our ability to keep a cool head’.
Over 25,000 UK car manufacturing jobs could be at risk
More than 25,000 UK car manufacturing jobs could be at risk if Donald Trump’s planned import tariffs are introduced, according to new analysis.
The Institute for Public Policy Research think tank says Jaguar Land Rover and the Mini factory in Cowley, Oxford, seem most exposed to US tariffs on cars.
The US is the second largest export market after the European Union for cars built in the UK.
IPPR research fellow Pranesh Narayanan said:
Trump’s tariffs have huge potential to completely destabilise the UK car manufacturing industry, affecting tens of thousands of jobs and putting the Government’s growth plans at jeopardy.
Stocks plunge as Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs prove harsher than feared
by Mike Sheen
Global stock markets traded sharply lower on Thursday morning as investors crowded into safe haven assets in response to Donald Trump’s harsher than expected US tariff measures.
Late on Wednesday Trump finally revealed details of levies imposed on global goods imports, with the President’s ‘liberation day’ announcements promising to kick start a new golden age for US industry.
South East Asian trading partners were hardest hit, with levies ranging from 24 per cent on Japanese goods to an eye-watering 49 per cent on Cambodian goods, while the European Union will face a 20 per cent tariff.
All countries were already hit with 25 per cent tariffs on auto imports last week.
Read more here:
Business Secretary – I’m working to reverse tariffs rather than secure US economic deal
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has said he is working to reverse the 10% US tariffs rather than secure an economic deal to offset them.
Asked if he was hoping to do a deal to compensate for the tariffs with economic gain, he told the BBC:
No, I want those tariffs removed. I want them removed in terms of the 10% that’s been announced. I want them removed on steel and aluminium. I want not only to remove what has been announced so far, but to strengthen that relationship.”
Talking about a potential UK-US economic deal, Mr Reynolds said there are ‘issues still to resolve’.
Business leaders in Downing Street for emergency talks
Senior business chiefs have headed into Downing Street this morning for urgent talks with Keir Starmer following the new 10% tariff on UK exports to the US.
Bosses of GSK, the pharmaceuticals company, Unilever, which makes consumer goods, Johnson Matthey, a chemicals company, are all locked in a meeting with the Prime Minister.
Representatives of Airbus, Shell and the car industry are also said to be involved in discussions.
Starmer has insisted the UK will take a ‘calm and pragmatic’ approach to tariffs and has yet to rule out any action including retaliatory tariffs.
What does the UK export to the US?
These are the top five UK goods exported to the US in 2024:
Cars: £9.0 billion
Medicinal and pharmaceutical products: £6.5 billion
Mechanical power generators: £4.6 billion
Scientific instruments: £2.4 billion
Aircraft: £2.2 billion
Global markets plunge as world reacts to Trump tariffs
Global markets have tumbled today after US President Donald Trump confirmed sweeping import levies on the UK and countries across the world.
The FTSE 100 Index dropped sharply on opening, falling 122.4 points or 1.4% in the first few minutes of trading.
Markets across Asia endured punishing declines overnight, with the Nikkei in Japan down nearly 3% and China’s Hang Seng 1.5% lower after Mr Trump’s self-declared “liberation day” saw him announce hefty tariffs on imports into the US, including a 10% penalty for UK goods.
While the US markets closed higher overnight after volatile trading on Wall Street, pre-market futures trading pointed to sharp declines in Thursday trading, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow Jones all expected to open lower, dragged lower by retailers and big tech stocks.
Gold hit another new record high amid a flight to safety, while the pound rallied against a weaker dollar, up 0.9% to 1.311 US dollars, but was 0.3% lower at 1.196 euros.
When will the tariffs come in?
The tariffs are due to come in between April 5 and 9 and make Mr Trump America’s most protectionist US president since Herbert Hoover 90 years ago.
The UK will be hit with a 10 percent tariff on all exports to the United States as Trump pledged America ‘will no longer be ripped off’.
A Downing Street source said:
We don’t want any tariffs at all, but a lower levy than others vindicates our approach. It matters because the difference between 10 per cent and 20 per cent is thousands of jobs.
Good morning!
Global markets went into freefall yesterday after Donald Trump declared a worldwide trade war with his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs blitz.
The US President vowed to stop the US being ‘pillaged’, ‘raped’ and ‘brutalised’ as he unveiled reciprocal tariffs on all foreign nations, calling it America’s ‘Declaration of Economic Independence’.
He also launched his MAWA movement – a play on MAGA – to ‘Make America Wealthy Again’.
We will be covering all the latest news here in our live blog.
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