Trump's tariffs are painful but how Britain responds now will shape transatlantic relations for years to come

3 April 2025, 17:47

This April brought an unexpected blow when the White House imposed a ten percent tariff on all UK goods under emergency powers.

Even though it is half the rate aimed at the European Union, it still felt like a painful jolt.

The United States is Britain’s largest export partner. President Trump now wants more access for American beef and the elimination of the UK’s digital services tax, both framed as conditions for economic cooperation.

Darren Spinck, associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, offers a different reading of these developments. In his upcoming report, ‘Advancing the US UK Special Relationship During the Second Trump Presidency’. He argues that these tariffs are not intended as punishment but as a calculated starting point for a new round of negotiations.

Spinck explains that the baseline reciprocal tariffs, imposed on much of the world in April 2025, could open the door to meaningful dialogue. Talks could centre on reducing tariffs in exchange for increased access to US goods, greater British purchases of American exports, and the removal of trade barriers such as subsidies, currency manipulation, or intellectual property violations.

This approach, he suggests, is emblematic of how the Trump administration prefers to operate. It uses sharp tactics to force engagement, believing that confrontation can lead to realignment. His report makes a timely case for strategic engagement rather than outright resistance.

In Spinck’s view, preserving the special relationship requires navigating these tensions without losing sight of shared interests. He argues that enduring partnerships are not weakened by occasional friction but by failure to act when challenges arise.

That said, one might argue that calling this a negotiation tactic does not erase the sting. Tariffs feel less like a prompt for discussion and more like pressure applied through fiscal force.

At their core, tariffs raise government revenue by raising costs for businesses and consumers. They inject uncertainty into markets, strain supply chains, and threaten the trust required for long-term cooperation.

Russia, though under sanctions, is curiously exempt from this round of tariffs. That exclusion raises uncomfortable questions about the true criteria driving these decisions and whether optics have overtaken consistency.

America’s dominance as the world’s reserve currency gives it extraordinary leverage. But if that power is used to bully allies rather than bind them closer, the long-term cost may outweigh the short-term gain.

Britain now stands at a crossroads. To yield too easily risks encouraging further demands. To resist risks deepening the rift. Either way, this moment will shape the tone of transatlantic relations in the years ahead.

The phrase special relationship must mean more than history and handshakes. It should reflect respect, reliability, and shared ambition.

Quick wins cannot come at the expense of deeper damage. True partnership will not survive threats disguised as trade strategy.

There is still time to reset the tone. But preserving something special requires treating it as such, especially when it is tested.

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Mykola Kuzmin is Operations Manager at the Henry Jackson Society.

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