It comes amid strains in relations between the 2 international locations
Donald Trump on the Oval Workplace yesterday(Picture: Alex Wong/Getty Pictures)
The UK was again on Donald Trump’s thoughts as he threatened ‘an enormous tariff’ in retaliation to a digital providers tax launched by Westminster six years in the past. The tax, which has been enforced since 2020, imposes a two per cent levy on the revenues of a number of main US tech corporations – together with social media companies.
However amid strains in relations between the 2 international locations in the course of the Center East conflict, Mr Trump raised the difficulty with journalists on the Oval Workplace on Thursday (April 23). He informed reporters: “We have been it and we will meet that very simply by simply placing an enormous tariff on the UK, in order that they higher watch out. If they do not drop the tax, we’ll most likely put an enormous tariff on the UK.”
The tax targets corporations whose worldwide revenues from digital actions exceed £500 million, with greater than £25 million of the income from UK customers. Based on a 2025 Treasury assessment, the levy raised greater than £800 million in 2024–25, up from £678 million in 2023–24.
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Mr Trump argued the legal guidelines, which have lengthy been a supply of pressure in UK-US relations, focused ‘prime corporations on the earth’. “The UK did it, a few different folks did it,” he stated. “They suppose they will make a straightforward buck, that is why they’ve all taken benefit of our nation.”
The digital providers tax went unchanged underneath the UK–US commerce deal agreed in Might 2025, regardless of being some extent of debate. Requested how excessive the tariff could be, the president stated it could be ‘greater than what they’re getting’ from the levy.
“What we’ll do is we’ll reciprocate by placing one thing on that is equal or higher than what they’re doing,” he stated. The newest remarks add to wider strains in UK-US relations, which have deteriorated after Sir Keir Starmer dominated out British involvement within the battle within the Center East.
Mr Trump’s feedback on tariffs come months after related US threats to impose new tariffs and export controls on international locations with digital taxes or laws affecting American tech giants. Numerous European international locations, like France, Italy and Spain, have a digital providers tax.
In a publish on Fact Social from August 2025, Mr Trump stated he would ‘stand as much as international locations that assault our unbelievable American Tech Firms’. “Digital Taxes, Digital Companies Laws, and Digital Markets Rules are all designed to hurt, or discriminate towards, American Expertise,” he wrote.
“This should finish,” he stated and vowed that ‘until these discriminatory actions are eliminated’, he would ‘impose substantial extra tariffs’ on the offending nation’s exports to the US. Press Affiliation approached Downing Road for remark.
Earlier this month, Mr Trump recommended the phrases of the UK-US commerce settlement brokered final yr ‘can at all times be modified’ in an interview with Sky Information. Talking at Prime Minister’s Questions within the Home of Commons, Sir Keir addressed strain from the US over the Iran conflict.
He informed MPs: “My place on the Iran conflict has been clear from the beginning. We’re not going to get dragged into this conflict. It’s not our conflict.
“A variety of strain has been utilized to me to take a unique course, and that strain included what occurred final night time. I am not going to vary my thoughts. I am not going to yield. It’s not in our nationwide curiosity to affix this conflict, and we won’t achieve this. I do know the place I stand.”
Purpose at Prince Harry and guidelines out nuclear assault on Iran
Mr Trump additionally took intention at Prince Harry chatting with journalists within the Oval Workplace.
Requested about Harry’s feedback calling on him to do extra to convey the conflict to an finish, Trump initially stated: “How’s he doing? How’s his spouse? Please give her my regards, OK?”
He went on: “I do not know. I do know one factor, Prince Harry just isn’t talking for the UK, that is for positive. I believe I am talking for the UK greater than Prince Harry, that is for positive. However thank him for his recommendation.”
In the meantime, Nigel Farage has admitted he’s ‘beginning to fear barely’ about Mr Trump’s judgement amid the conflict in Iran. Admitting his ‘buddy’ won’t be ‘everybody’s cup of tea’, the Reform chief informed the Mail: “I do, as a buddy, fear barely about his judgment on this, sure. I do. Will probably be a really unhappy finish to a tremendous political profession if the person that was at all times anti-war in the long run will get (introduced) down by this – I wrestle to grasp it.”
On Thursday, Trump dominated out utilizing nuclear weapons in Iran, saying the mere query was “silly”.
Requested by a feminine reporter whether or not he would think about it, Trump reacted angrily, barking: “No. Why would I would like it? Why would a silly query like that be requested? Why would I exploit a nuclear weapon after I’ve completely and in a really typical manner decimated them with out it. No I would not use it. A nuclear weapon ought to by no means be allowed for use by anybody.
