The British authorities are threatening to impose a duty on tens of thousands of items from the United States

The British government has compiled an extensive list of goods imported from the United States for which retaliatory duties may be imposed in response to US customs measures against British export products.

As a prelude to compiling the 417-page list, Business and Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds in In the House of Commons on Thursday evening, April 3, he said that Britain reserves the right to take the necessary measures if it fails to reach a bilateral trade agreement with the American side, which could abolish customs duties on British products exported to the US market.

Reynolds said he would immediately consult with the business sector on what types of goods could potentially be subject to action if the UK decides on customs control measures.

According to the list of goods published by the Ministry of Business shortly after, 27% of the total volume of British imports from the USA is included in the selection.

The annual volume of British-American trade is 315 billion pounds.

The Ministry of Business stressed that the compilation of the list does not mean that future possible British counter duties will apply to all American goods listed on the list. The "indicative" list was designed in such a way that retaliatory duties on the goods included in it had a limited impact on the British economy.

Among the tens of thousands of products on the list are a variety of meat and poultry products, cars and automotive components, car tires, construction products, metal and wood products, leather goods, clothing, industrial and household appliances.

According to the decree of the US President, the United States introduces a differentiated customs system. At a base rate of 10% of total imports, for example, imports from the European Union are subject to a 20% duty, Chinese imports are subject to a 34% duty, and goods purchased in the UK are subject to a 10% duty in the US.

The single tariff for imported vehicles, considered separately, is 25%.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in his statement after the presentation of the tariff decree in the United States, stressed that Britain is not interested in a trade war, since there are no winners in such a conflict. At the same time, Starmer said that the British government has "a number of means" at its disposal, and although the goal is to reach an agreement with Washington, British retaliatory measures cannot be ruled out.