Trump tariffs live updates: Global stocks sink and FTSE sees biggest drop since Covid pandemic on second day of market turmoil

Britain must allow US chlorine-washed chicken into UK markets if it wants relief from sweeping tariffs, Donald Trump has indicated.

In a statement published alongside the tariff announcement, the White House said: “The UK maintains non-science-based standards that severely restrict US exports of safe, high-quality beef and poultry products.”

It suggested that Britain’s ban on chlorinated chicken was among a range of “non-tariff barriers” that limit the US’s ability to trade.

The UK has long ruled out allowing imports of chlorine-washed chicken from the US due to health concerns, with Rachel Reeves in November reiterating her opposition to any concessions on the issue.

Read more details in this report:

In a live Q&A for The Independent, chief political commentator John Rentoul answered your questions on Trump’s trade war, the UK’s response and whether Keir Starmer can steer a better course with the EU.

They discussed soft power, chlorinated chicken, the single market, and whether China really stands to gain.

We’ve rounded up the biggest questions from readers – and Rentoul’s answers here.

A collection of feta producers in Greece have already noted they’ll be severely impacted, with half their sales to America likely to disappear. “We have to divert these quantities to other markets,” said the head of Greece’s association of dairy industries.

That could mean lower prices elsewhere to stoke demand, or trying to find new territories to sell into. But even the latter could see price rises as the wider economic impacts of recession risk and supply chain disruptions are felt.

The European Dairy Association has similarly criticised the move as “unjustified”.

“If anything, it could be argued there is now an opportunity to buy shares in companies or funds at much lower prices,” says one expert:

Sir Keir Starmer, Australia’s Anthony Albanese and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni agreed an “all-out trade war would be extremely damaging” during phone calls, Downing Street said.

The prime minister said it had been “clear for a long time that like-minded countries must maintain strong relationships and dialogue to ensure our mutual security and maintain economic stability”, a spokesperson from his office said.