Iain Duncan Smith: Trump Is Wrong On Steel, But Chinese To Blame

2 June 2018, 11:30 | Updated: 2 June 2018, 12:08

Iain Duncan Smith said that instead of applying tariffs to steel and aluminium imports, America should join the EU in taking China to the World Trade Organisation.

Iain Duncan Smith blamed China for the reason why America implemented strong tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

The Conservative MP told Matt Frei that America should have joined with Europe in taking China to the WTO.

But his obsession with blaming China caught Matt's ear.

The LBC presenter said: "You keep talking about China!"

"I think we need to talk about America on this one," he said.

"It's America that's started this latest fight and its picked the fight with the European Union, and that still includes the UK."

Iain Duncan Smith fought back, saying: "The Chinese are at the heart of this.

"The Americans have done wrong here, it is not right to try and breach this.

"They should have gone to the WTO."

Donald Trump announced new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, with the policy coming into force on Friday.

The US President said the move would protect US national security, but the UK's international trade secretary called the tariffs "illegal".

Dr Liam Fox said: "The United States believes, I believe wrongly and illegally, that this is a national security matter for the US.

"Given that we export some pretty complex steel products to the United States which are part of their national security programmes themselves, this reasoning that is given is wrong and therefore we believe unlawful."