Trump recently announced he would suspend the processing of visas for 75 countries as well as increased tariffs to be introduced on the UK
Trump recently announced he would suspend the processing of visas for 75 countries as well as increased tariffs to be introduced on the UK
US president Donald Trump has ramped up his pursuit to buy Greenland as he threatens to slap the UK with increased tariffs, with the UK needing to have an “adult debate”, according to culture secretary Lisa Nandy. Trump said on Saturday, January 17, that the UK will be charged a 10% tariff “on any and all goods” sent to the US from February 1, increased to 25% from June 1, until a deal is reached for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.
It comes after Trump announced he would be suspending the processing of visas for people from 75 countries earlier this week, due to take effect on January 21, with the UK remaining unaffected by the changes brought in by the president. As the US, along with Canada and Mexico, gear up for the World Cup later this year, the UK’s travel advice for the country remains unchanged.
People travelling to the country must ensure their passport is in date for the duration of their trip and they must have secured a visa from the US State Department.
The government warns those travelling to the country that terrorists are “very likely to try and carry out attacks in the US”. These attacks are expected to take place in indiscriminate locations visited by tourists and foreign nationals.
Advice for various scenarios and situations are listed on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website, with people in states bordering Mexico to be aware of crime linked to illegal drugs.
The FCDO website said: “Crime linked to illegal drugs is a major issue in Mexican states bordering Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. Some foreign nationals have been victims of crime in the border regions, but there is no evidence they were targeted because of their nationality.”
Tensions continue to grow in the US, resulting in protests. This has been prevalent in Minnesota following the shooting of a 37-year-old Renee Good by an (immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer attempting to detain her as she drove her car away from him.
This sparked protests in the state, with the FCDO warning people travelling to the US that protests are common and can become violent.
Tensions continue to grow across the continent as Trump continues to apply pressure on countries in his attempted purchase of Greenland. The tariffs announced by the president are also said to to apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, and that they had “journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described the move as “completely wrong” and said he would be “pursuing this directly” with the US administration.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he would not bow to “intimidation” and Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said “we will not let ourselves be blackmailed”.
Although Washington has been ratcheting up pressure over its plans for Greenland, US reports suggest the countries were given no notice of what was coming.
Ms Nandy said Sir Keir would speak to Mr Trump at the “earliest opportunity” but could not say if that would be at Davos in the coming week.
She told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “Often, with this particular US administration, the president will express a very strong view. He will then encourage a dialogue.
“He welcomes difference of opinion, and we will never shy away from standing up for what we believe is right, or asserting British interests. And what often happens is a negotiation.”
But she rejected the possibility that Mr Trump would “chicken out” and back away from the threat.
“I don’t think he’ll chicken out. I think this is actually a really serious issue, and I think it deserves a far more adult debate than us threatening the United States and the United States threatening us.”
