UK eases EV sales targets for automakers in response to Trump tariffs
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British automaker Jaguar Land Rover is pausing shipments to the US over the Trump tariffs.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is taking the first steps to help British businesses withstand US tariffs by easing the government’s electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate.
The changes will give carmakers more time to prepare for the 2030 phase-out of combustion engine cars from sale, according to a release from the Department for Transport. As part of the measures, Britain will allow hybrid cars to be sold until 2035, give manufacturers more flexibility on vehicle sales up to 2030 and exempt small producers, including luxury carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings, from the targets.
The move is the first in a series of pro-growth announcements planned by Mr Starmer’s government this week, as he responds to US President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs that have roiled markets and fuelled concerns of a global recession.
Mr Starmer spoke to international leaders including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Mr Friedrich Merz, on April 6 about the US tariffs, and said it was a moment for closer collaboration in Europe.
Mr Starmer said he would “go further and faster” to strengthen Britain’s economy and “ensure it is as resilient as possible and can withstand these kinds of global shocks,” Downing Street said in a statement on April 6. He also said it would be “important for the UK to strengthen its trading relationships with others across the globe”.
The auto industry has been hit particularly hard by Mr Trump’s plan to impose a 25 per cent tariff on cars imported into the US, forcing some manufacturers to temporarily halt production or offer big discounts. Over the weekend, British automaker Jaguar Land Rover said it is pausing shipments to the US as it looks at ways to address the new trading terms.
“Now more than ever, UK businesses and working people need a government that steps up, not stands aside,” Mr Starmer said in a statement ahead of a speech on Monday outlining the EV changes. “Global trade is being transformed.”
The government will also seek to boost demand for EVs by pressing ahead on new charging infrastructure and moving forward with tax breaks, according to the statement.
While Britain was slapped with a 10 per cent rate – lower than that of the European Union and other major economies such as China – the Labour government has pledged to announce measures to support British industry while seeking an economic deal with the US.
Writing in the Telegraph on April 6, Mr Starmer said the government will this week unveil measures to support the British economy and businesses. “The world as we knew it has gone,” he wrote. “We must rise to meet the moment.”
As part of the government’s growth push, British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is due to hold an economic and financial dialogue with India this week as the two countries seek a trade deal. Ministers in Britain’s business and trade department are convening a meeting of the country’s Steel Council on April 8 to discuss the latest tariff impacts. BLOOMBERG
