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US corporations importing steel from the UK must pay a further 25% tax
New tariffs imposed by the United States on steel and aluminium from the EU are "illegal", the UK's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has mentioned.
The coverage got here into drive on Friday, which means anybody in the United States importing the metals from the EU must pay a further tax.
President Donald Trump mentioned the transfer would defend US nationwide safety.
Dr Fox mentioned Prime Minister Theresa May can be elevating the difficulty on the G7 leaders assembly subsequent week.
On Friday, Mrs May mentioned she was "disappointed" at the United States resolutionwhich can see a 25% responsibility on European steel and a 10% responsibility on European aluminiumand that the taxes have been "unjustified".
Speaking to BBC Radio four's Today programme, Dr Fox mentioned the UK was nonetheless looking for exemptions from the tariffs.
"We will still be making that case throughout this week," he mentioned.
He added: "The United States believes, I imagine wrongly and illegally, that that is a nationwide safety matter for the United States.
"Given that we export some pretty complex steel products to the United States which are part of their national security programmes themselves, this reasoning that is given is wrong and therefore we believe unlawful."
President Trump initially imposed the tariffs in March, claiming that if the United States remained reliant on imported metals, it will threaten the nation's nationwide safety and injury its personal metallic business.
He initially exempted Canada, Mexico and the EU from the tariffs to permit time for negotiations.
However, the exemption ended at midnight on Thursday, which means the brand new taxes can be collected from Friday.
Dr Fox travelled to Washington in March to hunt an additional exemption for the UK however was unsuccessful.
Earlier this week, he known as the tariff proposals "disappointing" and "absurd".
Dr Fox's feedback observe these of EU commerce commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, who additionally known as the brand new tariffs unlawful and mentioned the United States was taking part in a "dangerous game".
French President Emmanuel Macron backed the place, telling President Trump the duties have been unlawful over the phone.
But Dr Fox warned towards a "tit-for-tat" escalation within the gentle of EU counter measures, including: "There can be no victors in a trade war, only casualties."
The EU has issued a 10-page checklist of tariffs on US items, starting from Harley Davidson bikes to bourbon.