US imposes tariffs on most UK goods

The House of Commons Library said in an April 14, 2026 briefing that the United States now applies tariffs to most UK goods entering the U.S. market. The note says the broad tariff regime dates from measures introduced after President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20, 2025, with a 10% tariff applying to most UK goods and higher sector-specific duties applying to some industries. The briefing also says the UK and U.S. agreed general terms of an Economic Prosperity Deal on May 8, 2025, but that the agreement has only been partially implemented so far. ### Which UK exports are being hit, and at what rates? The House of Commons Library says a 10% tariff applies to most UK goods imported into the United States. The same briefing says steel, aluminium and derivative goods were hit with a 25% tariff from March 12, 2025, while separate arrangements apply to cars, car parts and some other sectors under the U.S.-UK deal. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) The UK Office for National Statistics said on May 1, 2026 that most imports from the UK became subject to a blanket 10% tariff when U.S. tariffs were announced on April 2, 2025. The ONS said steel and aluminium, and cars and car parts, were exempt from that blanket rate because they were already covered by previously announced 25% tariffs. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) ### What did the UK-US deal actually change? The UK government says the Economic Prosperity Deal was agreed on May 8, 2025 and updated on June 20, 2025. The Department for Business and Trade says the package covers commitments and ongoing negotiations across beef, ethanol, automobiles, aerospace, steel and aluminium. (ons.gov.uk) The Commons Library says the deal could remove the 25% U.S. tariff on UK steel, aluminium and derivative goods if the UK meets U.S. supply-chain security requirements. It also says the UK can export up to 100,000 passenger vehicles to the United States at a 10% tariff, that pharmaceuticals can enter the U.S. tariff-free under the deal, and that exemptions for semiconductors and some other goods remain possible. (gov.uk) The ONS said the deal took effect on June 30, 2025. Its summary says the car provision applies to the first 100,000 UK car exports to the United States per quarter, and says steel and aluminium relief depends on mandatory traceability, vetting and origin rules. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) ### Why is the legal footing still unsettled? The House of Commons Library says the legal basis for several U.S. tariffs changed after a U.S. Supreme Court decision on February 20, 2026. The briefing says it remains unclear whether the 10% tariff on most UK goods will be maintained or altered under the new framework. (ons.gov.uk) The U.S. Trade Representative’s tariff actions page lists a February 20, 2026 presidential action on a temporary import surcharge and separately lists the U.S.-UK Economic Prosperity Deal documents from May and July 2025. That official USTR page shows the tariff regime and the UK deal are being administered through multiple actions rather than a single settled arrangement. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) ### What has happened to UK trade flows since the tariffs? The Office for National Statistics said goods exports to the United States, excluding precious metals, fell by £1.5 billion, or 24.7%, in April 2025 after the tariffs were introduced. The ONS said exports have remained relatively low since then, and that UK car exports to the U.S. have stayed below pre-tariff levels since April 2025. (ustr.gov) The same ONS release says the United States remains the UK’s largest goods export partner and third-largest goods import partner. That keeps the tariff issue central for British exporters even after the May 2025 deal. (ons.gov.uk) ### What should companies watch next? The House of Commons Library says the Economic Prosperity Deal is designed to evolve over time and has only been partially implemented. The UK government’s EPD page says negotiations are continuing in the sectors covered by the agreement, while the Commons briefing says future tariff treatment for some goods, including semiconductors, remains open. (ons.gov.uk) The next concrete reference points are the U.S.-UK implementation documents already posted by the USTR and the UK government, and any further updates to the Commons Library briefing on tariffs. Those pages set out the named sectors, the tariff rates in force, and the conditions tied to any additional relief. (gov.uk) (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)