SLASHING tariffs on British Steel will be top of the agenda when the Trade Secretary arrives for high level talks on a new trade deal with the USA today.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan will meet advisors of President Biden and push to end levies which the US is keeping in place as leverage while Britain argues with the EU over the Northern Ireland border.
On a trip to Washington DC and New York this week she will hope to lay more of the groundwork towards a wider deal.
It comes as new research by the Department for International Trade shows US businesses employ almost 1.5 million people in the UK in 2019, up 74 per cent since 1997.
It also shows that 60 per cent of these are jobs now outside of London and the South East.
But in October the President signed a deal to end tariffs on steel imports from the EU imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump.
But the agreement does not cover exports from the UK, putting British steelmakers at a disadvantage.
And writing in HOAR, Ms Trevelyan admitted it is an area where “we can do better” and will be pushing to end the tariffs.
She added: “On steel for example, we want to see tariffs dropped on both sides, but make no apology for sticking up for our brilliant British steel industry.
“It’s high time we get on and sort this issue, but we will only move forward on terms that are right for the UK.”
She will meet US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Wednesday.
