Piers Morgan has sparked backlash online with his daring forecast on the potential impact of President Donald Trump's hefty trade tariffs on the UK. The US President has ruffled feathers by imposing a 10% tariff on British goods alongside substantial levies on global imports.
In a feisty address, Trump launched an offensive on "foreign cheaters" by slapping trade tariffs on nations worldwide, including a hefty 20% on the EU, 34% on China, 26% on India, and an eye-watering 49% on Cambodia. These measures are set to kick in at the crack of dawn this Saturday (April 5), reports the Mirror. Trump's fiery rhetoric continued as he stated: "Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years.
"But it is not going to happen anymore. April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America's destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make America wealthy again."
After Trump inked the executive order yesterday (April 2), Piers Morgan couldn't resist weighing in on the matter online. He bravely asserted on X - formerly known as Twitter: "PREDICTION: President Trump's global tariff war is either going to be a spectacular success or a total disaster. I have no clue which."
However, the presenter's prediction didn't go down well with many of his online followers. One irate user penned: "I don't understand why everyone is so upset! Why should we have to pay such high tariffs to these other countries and let them barely pay any?? At least they are reciprocal. And some countries are still getting twice as much!"
One commentator fumed: "That's not a prediction. Saying it may rain or not tomorrow is also not a weather forecast." Meanwhile another said: "The US has the greatest economy on its side. As long as Trump is willing to negotiate - which he has signalled that he is - then this could lead countries to come to the table to bring down tariffs across the board."
It comes after a source from Downing Street stated: "We don't want any tariffs at all, but a lower levy than others vindicates our approach. It matters because the difference between 10% and 20% is thousands of jobs."
The UK government plans to continue negotiations, with the aim of reaching a sustainable trade deal and lowering tariffs. The Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, added: "The US is our closest ally, so our approach is to remain calm and committed to doing this deal, which we hope will mitigate the impact of what has been announced today."
"We have a range of tools at our disposal and we will not hesitate to act. We will continue to engage with UK businesses including on their assessment of the impact of any further steps we take."
He concluded: "Nobody wants a trade war and our intention remains to secure a deal. But nothing is off the table and the government will do everything necessary to defend the UK's national interest."
