The United States will delay its deal to remove tariffs on UK steel and aluminum because of concerns about post-Brexit trade rules affecting Northern Ireland, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
Britain is encouraged that U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is taking steps to de-escalate the situation over tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said he did not expect Britain and the European Union to resolve all the issues around theirNorthern Irish trade dispute by the end of this year, but said progress was being made.
A U.S. administration official on Thursday said the country's failure to remove tariffs on UK steel and aluminum has no connection to concerns about post-Brexit trade rules affecting Northern Ireland, rejecting a recent report.