Bridgnorth Aluminium Faces Trade Hurdles Due to US Tariffs

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Bridgnorth Aluminium, a Shropshire-based metal manufacturer, says the new tariffs on steel and aluminium in the US will make trade more difficult.

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The company, which employs 330 people in the county, exports 20% of the goods it makes to the US.

Impact of U.S. Tariffs on Aluminium Exports 

Ruth Ross, chief executive of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, said the new export tax "plunges businesses, in both the US and UK, into a new age of uncertainty."

"These tariffs add another dimension to the global uncertainty we are all currently dealing with," said Adrian Musgrave, Head of Sales at Bridgnorth Aluminium, to the BBC.

"If there is no movement on the 25% rate, it will make trading with the US more difficult for us as a business, but it could also cause supply and cost issues for firms in America, too.

"For example, for a significant portion of our US sales, there is currently no US producer. This means there is no threat to domestic aluminium production, yet companies using our aluminium may soon be hit by rising costs," he added.

Hope for a Trade Deal Between UK and US 

The company, which exports to 14 different countries, is hoping a trade deal can be struck between the UK and US, which would remove tariffs altogether or significantly reduce it from the 25% rate.

The chamber of commerce has also raised concern about the impact tariffs could have on other manufacturers that export to the US. Ms. Ross said products made with UK steel and aluminium were used in many supply chains in the US.

Tariffs and Their Effect on International Trade 

President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminium came into effect on Wednesday, meaning US businesses bringing those products into the country now have to pay a 25% tax on them.