UK "Compiling Retaliatory Tariff List Against the US"

The UK government is reportedly compiling a list of American products on which it could impose retaliatory tariffs in response to the US tariff measures.

According to foreign media and Yonhap News on the 4th (local time), Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Industry and Trade, stated that following the tariff measures announced by US President Donald Trump, the UK government plans to attempt negotiations by May 1, and is considering retaliatory measures in case the negotiations fail.

Secretary Reynolds explained that discussions are currently underway with UK companies to select American products that could potentially be subject to tariffs.

President Trump announced on the 2nd that a 10% reciprocal tariff would be imposed on most UK products, and according to a White House document, UK pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, copper, and certain types of timber were excluded from the tariff list.

The UK government continues to emphasize a cautious response, and major economic organizations such as Make UK and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have criticized the Trump administration's tariff measures while expressing concerns about the possibility of retaliatory actions escalating into a trade war.

The Department for Business and Trade released a sample list of products considering the possibility of UK tariff responses but stressed that this list does not imply that actual tariffs will be imposed. The list, spanning 417 pages, reportedly includes 27% of the UK's total imports from the US, such as American crude oil, firearms, bourbon whiskey, thoroughbred horses, and children's clothing.

The Department for Business and Trade explained that the list was prepared focusing on products that would minimize the impact on the UK economy. According to data from the UK Office for National Statistics, the major items the UK imported from the US last year included crude oil (?8.6 billion, approximately 16.1 trillion KRW), mechanical generators (?5.8 billion, approximately 10.9 trillion KRW), pharmaceuticals (?4.5 billion, approximately 8.4 trillion KRW), refined petroleum (?4.2 billion, approximately 7.9 trillion KRW), and aircraft (?2.9 billion, approximately 5.4 trillion KRW).