Reeves Blames Trump Tariffs For Latest UK Economic Slump

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has blamed U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies for the country's latest economic downturn, citing “huge uncertainty about tariffs” as a key factor behind weakening exports and industrial output, James Walker and James Knuckey reported for the Daily Express.

Reeves acknowledged that April had been a “challenging month” and described the latest economic data as “disappointing but not entirely unexpected.” I Photo: Rachel Reeves X

“There was a huge uncertainty about tariffs,” Reeves told Sky News, “and one of the things, if you dig into those GDP numbers today, is exports weakening and also production weakening because of that uncertainty in the world around tariffs.”

She acknowledged that April had been a “challenging month” and described the latest economic data as “disappointing but not entirely unexpected.”

The UK economy experienced its sharpest monthly contraction in 18 months in April, primarily driven by a steep drop in manufacturing activity and a record plunge in exports to the U.S. following Trump’s newly announced tariffs.

While the measures were largely aimed at China and other rivals, UK industries were caught in the crossfire, sending shockwaves through the country’s fragile post-Brexit economy.