US Steel and Aluminium Tariffs

Debate between Baroness Jones of Whitchurch and Baroness Hoey

Wednesday 12th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Lab)]

I assure my noble friend that we are determined to support and invest in the steel sector. We already have plans and are taking steps to do that. We see a bright future for steel in the UK, and our plan for steel, which will be published in the spring, will establish a long-term vision for the industry, promoting long-term growth and securing jobs for the future in all parts of the country. The point that my noble friend makes is absolutely right about that. This is about ensuring jobs, protecting the industry for the future and making sure that we can go forward on a competitive basis in the global trade on this issue.

[Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

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[Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I think that His Majesty’s Government are quite right not to rush into retaliatory measures, but will the Minister say whether they are giving any thought to what will happen when the EU retaliates? What happens to Northern Ireland, which has been left within the EU for these kinds of matters? That is something that they need to be looking at urgently.

[Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Lab)]

My Lords, Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom’s customs territory and internal market. We will continue to monitor closely the impact on Northern Ireland of any tariffs. While the framework means that tariffs would apply on US goods moved into Northern Ireland for the limited subset of US goods in line with its protection of the UK and EU markets, there is a duty reimbursement scheme in place where those goods do not enter the EU. The duty reimbursement scheme enables traders to reclaim or remit applicable duties in full without any limit on total claims. Businesses moving goods into Northern Ireland should contact HMRC for more information about these schemes.

Tariffs: Canada and Mexico

Debate between Baroness Jones of Whitchurch and Baroness Hoey

Tuesday 4th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Lab)]

My Lords, as I said, we are committed to working with both the US and the EU to remove barriers to trade and to help UK businesses grow. The noble Lord is quite right to draw attention to the fact that the US is one of our largest trading partners, with trade worth around £300 billion in September 2024, representing 18% of total UK trade. We have a long and deep relationship with the US, and we will obviously want to enhance that as the trade discussions continue.

[Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)]

If President Trump imposes tariffs on the European Union and not, we hope, on the United Kingdom, what plans do His Majesty’s Government have to protect the part of the United Kingdom—Northern Ireland—that has been left in the EU for some hundreds of trading areas? How will we be affected and what will His Majesty’s Government do to protect the citizens of Northern Ireland?

[Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Lab)]

My Lords, we will always consider businesses across the country and their particular interests. However, it is difficult to comment on specific tariffs when there are few facts and speculation is taking place. Northern Ireland is part of the UK customs territory and internal market, and goods moving into Northern Ireland do not subsequently enter the EU. We are considering what action would be in the best interests of all UK businesses and will make sure that the implications for Northern Ireland are considered in those discussions.