UK urged to deploy EU-style ‘trade bazooka’ against Trump’s tariffs

‘Inadequate economic security’ is putting growth and jobs at risk, says British Chambers of Commerce UK business leaders have called on the government to build an EU-style “trade bazooka” to protect Britain’s economic interests in response to the latest tariff threats from Donald Trump. As transatlantic tensions rise, the British Chambers of Commerce said the UK’s “inadequate economic security” was putting growth and jobs at risk. The lobby group, which represents thousands of firms, urged Keir Starmer to take the lead in protecting Britain from external crises, saying there had been “years of neglect by successive governments”. Geopolitical tensions, the impact of Brexit, the Covid pandemic, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East mean UK companies are navigating an increasingly fraught global backdrop for international trade. The US president last week threatened to impose “a big tariff” on the UK unless it drops a digital services tax that impacts US technology companies. In a report setting out recommendations to help stop the decline of British competitiveness in an increasingly unstable world, the BCC said urgent steps were required to protect companie