Responding to reports of US plans for blanket tariffs, Tom Clougherty, Executive Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs said:

“Tariffs are a tax on domestic consumers. With living costs high and growth sluggish, they are the last thing Britain needs right now.

“That logic doesn’t change just because other countries impose tariffs on the import of your goods. Retaliatory tariffs simply add to the pain.

“The Government should pay little attention to what other countries do in response to US protectionism. The right course for Britain is to trade as freely as possible, whatever the circumstances.”