The UK government has published a long list of products which could be subject to retaliatory tariffs with the US.
Hydrogen, carbon dioxide, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, and specialty gases all make the list, along with natural gas and hydrocarbons ‘in gaseous states’, ammonia (anhydrous and in aqueous solution), mineral or chemical nitrogen fertilisers, machinery for liquefying air and purifying gases, valves, compressors, catalysts, iron and steel.
The list also includes a wide range of automotive, chemical, foodstuffs and animal products, and garments.
At this stage, there is no indication of which imported US products would see a tariff applied – or the rate.
The US is imposing 10% tariffs on UK imports. It is one one of a handful of countries to be subject to the baseline rate. Many Asian and emerging countries have been slapped with especially high charges on the basis of running a trade surplus with the US, though mostly that is a reflection of the limited market in developing counties for high-cost US goods.
The tariffs are the highest in a century, exceeding the Smoot-Hawley era of the 1930s, although there was some good news for Canadian helium producers.
