The UK business secretary has firmly rejected pressure from Brussels to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, saying the government will not alter its trade rules in response to demands from European partners.
Jonathan Reynolds pushed back against calls for the UK to apply import taxes, in particular on Chinese-built vehicles, and dismissed suggestions that Britain could become a ‘‘back door’ for low-cost goods into European markets if it did not align with EU policy. He said the government would not bow to outside pressure on this issue.
The intervention comes amid wider diplomatic and commercial discussions about the future shape of UK–EU economic relations. European officials have been urging greater alignment on trade remedies and other controls as part of proposals to strengthen regulatory and market access ties between the two economies.
Reynolds’s refusal to adopt EU-style tariffs highlights a potential sticking point in those conversations. While the UK has signalled interest in deeper cooperation with the EU in some areas, ministers say individual trade policy choices will remain a matter for the British government rather than being dictated by external partners.
Industry groups on both sides of the Channel have been watching the dispute closely because tariffs or the absence thereof could affect supply chains and competitiveness in the automotive sector and other industries. The UK’s position signals a desire to preserve its independent trade regime while engaging with Europe on other aspects of economic cooperation.
For now, the government’s line is clear: it will defend its current trade rules and resist calls to introduce targeted import taxes at the behest of European counterparts, even as talks continue over deeper economic ties.