Donald Trump’s tariffs will be ‘surgical’, president-elect’s former adviser warns

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump will impose “surgical” tariffs when he enters office, his former director of communications has warned, as concern grows over an imminent trade war with the United States. The former adviser’s intervention comes just days after Sir Keir Starmer hit out at the “dangers” of tariffs, putting the prime minister on a collision course with the incoming US president. “So, as an example, if China teams up with their steel industry, meaning the government is now fortifying and subsidising the steel industry, and they can dump steel into the American market below the market price to crush out their American competitors, we can’t allow that.” There have been fears of a global trade war since Trump’s re-election Mr Scaramucci also said any talk of Mr Trump running for a third term is “to rile up the liberals” after former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon suggested the president-elect’s second term wouldn’t be his last. While chancellor Rachel Reeves has promised the UK will make “strong representations” to Mr Trump over tariffs which could hit Britain’s economy, the Labour government’s relationship with the incoming US administration has become increasingly turbulent.