UK industry braces itself against the impact of further US tariffs
3 April 2025
by Joanna Richardson

Whist the UK Government’s approach continues to be to ‘keep calm and carry on the negotiations’ in an effort improve trading relations with the United States, British Marine’s public affairs team is working closely with officials in the Department of Business & Trade, as well as colleagues in the European Boating Industry (EBI), the US National Marine Manufacturers’ Association (NMMA) and the International Council of Marine Industries (ICOMIA) to assess the implications the latest US tariffs, and potential retaliatory measures, will have on our industry.


This follows earlier representations by British Marine to the UK Government urging it to avoid any retaliation to the US tariffs on steel and aluminium that would drag our industry into that trade dispute and adversely impact the UK marine exports.  Despite direct assurances by the Minister for Trade Policy, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, to our Chief Executive, Lesley Robinson, on 27 March that the Government was “working intensively with the US to find a resolution” it has been unable to prevent the US applying its baseline 10% tariffs on all UK imports. These will come into effect on 5 April 2025.

Assessing the impact that these new additional tariffs will have on UK marine exports is challenging especially as our industry’s supply chain, and the wider UK economy, will also be   affected by tariffs the US is applying elsewhere and other subsequent counter measures.  For example, the additional 34% tariffs being applied to China and, perhaps most crucially for our sector, its 20% tariffs on all goods from the European Union – our industry’s main export region which accounted for 44% of all UK marine exports in 2022/23. 

On 3 April the EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen issued a statement  about the EU’s opposition to these new US tariffs and the negative impact it will have on the global economy. While the Commission has made clear the EU is willing to enter into negotiations with the US it is preparing for further trade countermeasures, in addition to its countermeasures in response to steel and aluminium that are due to come into effect mid-April.  The EBI, with growing support from the European Parliament, is urging the Commission to take a nuanced and targeted approach to any counter measures in the hope the impact on recreational boats will be minimal.

British Marine will keep members updated on the implications for the industry but in the  meantime further information is available on the links below:


If you have specific concerns or information you would like us to share with DBT to inform the UK’s response, please contact Joanna Richardson jrichardson@britishmarine.co.uk Tel 07860 848834.

Photo by Charlotte Harrison on Unsplash