The UK could suffer the greatest relative economic losses among major US trading partners as a result of President Donald Trump’s latest tariff policy changes, according to recent estimates from analysts and data from international organizations.
Following the US Supreme Court’s ruling that several of Trump’s global tariffs exceeded his authority, the administration quickly imposed a uniform base tariff of 15% on imports from all countries. Previously, the UK enjoyed a preferential 10% rate under a special trade agreement concluded with the US in 2025, which the British government actively promoted as a diplomatic success.
Now, the shift from 10% to 15% represents the most significant increase in tariff burden for British exporters—an average of 2.1 percentage points. According to Global Trade Alert calculations, this is the largest increase among the US’s 20 largest trading partners. Italy and Singapore rank second and third.
The British Chambers of Commerce estimates additional costs for exporters at £2–3 billion. Around 40,000 companies will be affected. The increase will be particularly painful for those sectors that did not receive special exemptions (whisky, toys, and certain consumer goods), where tariffs are now effectively equal to the EU level prior to the recent changes.
At the same time, a few countries—primarily China, India, and Brazil—are gaining a relative advantage, as their previous rates were significantly higher than 15% and are now being reduced or remain at comparable levels.
Economists warn that, given the weak pound and high dependence on services and goods exports to the US, the new tariff reality could further slow UK GDP growth in 2026 and increase pressure on the Bank of England’s monetary policy.