Elon Musk 'should be hit with Tesla tariff over Donald Trump steel tax row'

The Lib Dem person Sir Ed Davey told MPs astatine PMQs some President Donald Trump and his state - Tesla laminitis Elon Musk - request to perceive 'strong words' from the UK government

Keir Starmer should prepare retaliatory tariffs against the US starting with imports of billionaire Elon Musk's Teslas, Sir Ed Davey has suggested.

The Lib Dem person told MPs astatine PMQs some President Donald Trump and his state - the X proprietor Mr Musk - needed to perceive "strong words" from the UK.

He said the UK authorities should statesman preparing tariffs if the erratic President proceeds with his plan to deed alloy imports worldwide with a 25% import tax. Sir Ed said this should statesman with "American electrical cars" - thing the Lib Dems aboriginal branded "Tesla tariffs" to "hit Musk wherever it hurts".

Trump's enforcement bid removes exemptions for the UK and different countries, meaning alloy and aluminium exports to the US volition beryllium deed by tariffs from March 12. UK Steel has warned the tariffs "would beryllium a devastating stroke to our industry".

Addressing the contented successful the Commons connected Wednesday, Sir Ed recalled British soldiers warring alongside Canadians and Americans 80 years agone successful the second stages of the Second World War, and said the US was hitting its closest allies hardest.

He told MPs: "President Trump seems to person forgotten each this. His tariffs against alloy and aluminium volition deed Canada the hardest and volition besides deed jobs and the outgo of surviving successful our country.

"In reminding President Trump who America's existent and longstanding allies truly are, volition the PM besides hole a program for tariffs successful return?" Starting with tariffs connected American electrical cars."

But the PM replied: ""He is close to notation our history, the 80-year anniversary, and of people we were warring alongside the Americans and that is amongst the reasons we person a peculiar relationship. British alloy is an indispensable portion of our heartlands and we volition not wantonness our skilled workforce.

"It needs a level-headed appraisal of the implications which is what we're going done astatine the moment. But we volition ever enactment our nationalist involvement archetypal and alloy workers first."

No10 besides declined to criticise the US President's determination earlier this week. Asked if the US President's tariffs were wrong, the PM's authoritative spokesperson said: "We volition instrumentality a considered attack to this.

"We volition prosecute with the US connected the detail, but the Government is wide we volition enactment successful our nationalist involvement and this contented is nary antithetic to that." Asked if the UK is prepared to enact retaliatory tariffs, the spokesperson said helium was not going to "get ahead" of conversations with the alloy industry.