British Prime Minister Theresa May told President Trump Monday that his decision to impose tariffs on European Union steel and aluminum imports was “unjustified and deeply disappointing.”
In a phone call, Mrs. May told the president that the U.S., United Kingdom and EU “are close national security allies” who recognize “the importance of the values of open and fair trade across the world.”
“The prime minister also underlined the need to safeguard jobs that would potentially be affected by the decision,” her office said in a statement.
Britain is scheduled to leave the EU in March 2019. The White House said Mr. Trump “further underscored the need to rebalance trade with Europe and expressed hope for a Brexit deal that does not increase tensions on the Northern Ireland border.”
Mr. Trump moved ahead with the tariffs last week, saying that the EU, Canada and Mexico are engaging in unfair trade practices that hurt U.S. workers.
The two leaders agreed to discuss tariffs and “wider issues” of global trade further at the G-7 summit beginning Friday in Quebec, Canada.
They also discussed rising gasoline prices, with Mrs. May noting that she spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last weekend on the “importance of stability in oil markets.”
With the U.S. having pulled out of the Iranian nuclear deal, the White House said Mr. Trump raised the need for a “new and comprehensive deal that addresses all aspects of Iran’s destabilizing behavior, including in Yemen and Syria.” The prime minister’s statement didn’t address the nuclear deal but said the two leaders “agreed on the importance of continuing to work together to counter Iran’s destabilizing regional activity, including its support for the Houthis in Yemen.”
The prime minister told Mr. Trump that the U.S. has the full support of the UK. in his denuclearization summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, scheduled to take place next week in Singapore.
“They agreed we needed to see an agreement that brings about the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization and the removal of the North Korean ballistic missile capability,” her office said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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