Trump Raises UK Tariffs to 15 Percent, Overriding Trade Deal and Threatening Billions in British Exports

President Donald Trump has escalated tariffs on British exports to 15% from 10%, delivering a sharp blow to UK businesses just days after the US Supreme Court struck down his previous levies. According to The Telegraph, Trump announced the hike on Saturday via Truth Social, effective immediately under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, applying uniformly worldwide for up to 150 days without Congressional approval needed yet. This overrides a trade deal last year that had secured the lower 10% rate for the UK, leaving Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government scrambling. Fortune reports the move as "something of an eff you" to Britain, which had played ball with Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs. Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist at Capital Economics, called it an insult, noting the uniform rate leaves no room for bilateral negotiations. The British Chambers of Commerce estimates this will add £2 billion to £3 billion in costs on UK exports to the US, where Britain shipped nearly £62 billion in goods last year—from whisky and vehicles to steel and cooking oil. William Bain, the group's trade policy head, warned it will dismay 40,000 exporting firms, harm US consumers, and stall global growth. The Budget Lab at Yale pegs the overall US effective tariff rate at 13.7% now, the highest since 1941 excluding last year's peaks, hitting metals, vehicles, and electronics hardest. Exemptions persist for pharmaceuticals, tech, and agriculture, but new Section 301 probes led by Trump ally Jamon Greer target UK sectors like digital services taxes, food standards blocking chlorinated chicken, and Online Safety Act rules seen as anti-free speech. Tensions simmer as Greer's accelerated investigations could impose longer-lasting duties up to four years. A UK government spokesperson insists privileged trading status will endure, vowing talks with the Trump administration. Listeners, stay tuned as these 150 days unfold—will Congress extend them, or spark retaliation? This could redefine transatlantic trade. Thank you for tuning in to United Kingdom Tariff News and Tracker. Subscribe for weekly updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/ Avoid ths tariff fee's and check out these deals https://amzn.to/4iaM94Q This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.