Donald Trump's trade representative, Jamieson Greer, has assured that the United States will not renege on tariff agreements already reached with countries including the UK, the EU, Japan, and Switzerland. This promise comes amid uncertainty following the US Supreme Court's ruling that many of Trump's tariffs were illegal, prompting the president to announce a new 15% global tariff on all imports.
Speaking on CBS's Face the Nation, Greer emphasised that the new levy is separate from the deals struck with around 20 countries over the past nine months. 'We want them to understand these deals are going to be good deals,' he said. 'We're going to stand by them. We expect our partners to stand by them.'
UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson acknowledged the uncertainty facing British businesses but expressed confidence that the UK's preferential trade arrangements with the US would continue. Business leaders have urged the government to 'double down' on the existing Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) agreed between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer in May last year.
The EU has also called on the US to honour its commitments, with a spokesperson stating, 'A deal is a deal.' The bloc is concerned that the new 15% tariff could be imposed on top of existing rates, leading to higher levies on goods such as wine and spirits. EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič has spoken with Greer and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to address these concerns.
The Supreme Court ruling, which infuriated Trump, led to the imposition of the new tariff under the 1974 Trade Act, a different legal framework. This has sparked fears in the UK of a potential increase on the existing 10% tariff on British goods. William Bain of the British Chambers of Commerce suggested the UK could use this development to secure a better long-term deal, while David Henig of the European Centre for International Political Economy noted that 'no deal can be expected to last' with the current US administration.
