United Kingdom rejects US pressure for China trade tariffs
- Chief Secretary to the UK Treasury Emma Reynolds announced at the G20 finance leaders’ meeting in North Carolina that Britain will maintain a pragmatic relationship with China, cooperating where interests align while challenging areas of disagreement.
- Responding to suggestions from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to implement trade barriers on Chinese goods, Reynolds reiterated that the UK remains committed to open trade principles over establishing trade tariffs.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged G20 counterparts to adopt President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy to prevent Chinese goods from flooding global markets and to safeguard domestic manufacturing sectors.
- Reynolds stressed that although the UK maintains strict embargoes and sanctions against aggressive states such as Iran and Russia, it intends to navigate complex global economic imbalances through open economic engagement.
- Economic research by the Tax Foundation demonstrated that tariff measures introduced by President Donald Trump throughout 2025 raised US retail prices for imported consumer goods by around 7 per cent compared to pre-tariff levels.
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