Trump tariffs likely to hit UK, admits No 10

Downing Street says it expects the UK to be hit by more tariffs when Donald Trump announces his latest round of trade barriers tomorrow, and said it "reserves the right" to respond to protect the national interest.

- Pippa Crerar Richard Partington

Ministers are now expecting the UK to be hit by a tariff that will apply to all countries as part of the US president's "liberation day", despite hoping to have secured a carve-out.

With hopes of a deal before tomorrow fading, the former top UK trade negotiator Crawford Falconer warned that Keir Starmer's plan for an "economic prosperity deal" with Washington could take as long as a year to come to fruition.

Falconer, who was the government's most senior trade official until the end of last year, told the Guardian: "You've got a year at the most. Trump and the government will say: 'No, we can do this quicker,' but good luck...probably less than a year is realistic.

If your politicians are looking at real, hard political choices and are focused on it, and really kick officials' backsides, then yes, you can get these things done in a matter of months as opposed to years."

No 10 said officials would continue talks with the US "as long as there's a chance to reach a deal" after forecasters said a 20-percentage-point increase in tariffs on UK goods and services would cut the size of the British economy by 1% and force tax rises this autumn.