US Tariff Changes

New United States tariffs took effect on the 24th July 2026, which replace previous arrangements which apply to United Kingdom imports. For the majority of U.K .exporters, the immediate costs remains the same , however there is welcome relief for whisky but there are concerns about the competitiveness of other British goods.

Most goods of U.K. entering the United States will continue to face an additional tariff of 10%, on top of the standard U.S. customs duty for their product.

The new measure was introduced following US investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. It applies to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from a US customs warehouse for consumption, from 24 July 2026.

Businesses should not treat the headline 10% figure as the total customs duty payable. The full landed cost may include:

• Existing US customs duty.
• Additional 10% tariff
• Any applicable anti-dumping, countervailing or sector-specific duties
• Customs clearance, handling and transport costs

The exact treatment will depend on the product’s classification under the United States tariff schedule.

Current arrangements applying to automotive products, pharmaceuticals, steel and aluminium have not been changed by the latest announcement.

U.K. steel and aluminium products will retain a comparative advantage, with relevant goods facing U.S. duties of 25%, compared with 50% for many other countries. The existing position for automotive and pharmaceutical trade also remains in place.

Companies should check whether their individual products fall within the relevant sector arrangements or exemptions.

A company should not rely solely on a general product description when calculating the tariff due.

There will be concerns about the loss of the U.K.’s competitive advantage over the EU and other countries which have secured a more favourable deal in other goods sectors.

The U.S. is also carrying our further investigations over digital service taxes which could lead to further uncertainty for firms