Trump tariffs live: Jaguar Land Rover pauses shipments to US as 10% tariff kicks in for UK

World leaders were hit with an escalation in the US trade war as Donald Trump unveiled a swathe of tariffs on imported goods affecting nearly every country.

On so-called “Liberation Day”, the United States president announced that almost all imported goods would be hit with blanket tariffs, in an effort to increase homegrown production and reduce trade imbalances.

Most countries that trade with the US will be subject to a minimum 10 per cent tariff from April 5, including the United Kingdom, with dozens of nations facing levies as high as 50 per cent.

The reciprocal tariffs, which put Chinese goods imports at 54 per cent, will come into effect from 9 April.

Read the full story by The Independent’s data correspondent Alicja Hagopian here:

Hundreds of protesters have gathered in central London as part of global demonstrations against Donald Trump.

Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon with banners which read “No to Maga hate” and “Dump Trump”.

The rally is one of hundreds of so-called “hands off” demonstrations around the world – including in cities across the US, Paris and Berlin.

The movement has been organised by more than 150 groups, including civil rights groups and trade unions.

In London, demonstrators voiced their concerns with chants of “Hands off Ukraine” and “Hands off the UK”.

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron spoke on Saturday and agreed to keep all options on the table as they plot a response to Donald Trump’s universal tariffs.

The prime minister and French president said a trade war would be “in nobody’s interests” but said “nothing should be off the table” in combating the US president’s damaging measures.

The pair also said they had concerns about the global economic and security impact of Mr Trump’s levies, “particularly in South East Asia”.

It comes as Sir Keir remains holed up speaking to world leaders this weekend, seeking to build closer ties with non-US allies as the trade war escalates.

US president Donald Trump has gone golfing for the third day in a row as the world reels from his tariffs on global imports.

Mr Trump was seen reading a tabloid article with the headline “World War Fee,” and “China: Yeah?” as he arrived at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida.

Around the same time, Mr Trump posted to his Truth Social platform claiming China would come off worse in the trade war.

“China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close,” he said. “They, and many other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly.

“This is an economic revolution, and we will win. Hang tough.”

Mr Trump slapped a combined tariff of 54 per cent on Chinese goods earlier this week.

Beijing responded by imposing a 34 per cent tariff on US exports to China.

A White House official has confirmed that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit on Monday.

Mr Netanyahu will discuss recently announced tariffs with president Donald Trump and the visit will likely also include discussions on Iran and Israel’s war against Hamas.

Howmet Aerospace, which supplies parts for planes built by Airbus and Boeing , may halt some shipments if they are impacted by tariffs announced by US president Donald Trump, according to a letter seen by news agency Reuters.

Pittsburgh-based Howmet said in the letter to customers that it has declared a force majeure event, a legal practice that allows parties to a contract to avoid their obligations if hit by unavoidable and unpredictable external circumstances, Reuters reported.

“Howmet will be excused from supplying any products or services that are impacted by this declared national emergency and/or the tariff executive order,” Howmet reportedly wrote in the letter.

Howmet declined to comment. Howmet is a supplier of critical metal components used across the $150 billion jetliner industry.

Jaguar Land Rover will pause shipments of its Britain-made cars to the United States for a month, it said on Saturday, as it considers how to mitigate the cost of president Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff.

Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors , confirmed the temporary export suspension after The Times newspaper reported the plan.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions, including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans,” JLR said in a statement.

Britain’s car industry, which employs 200,000 people directly, is highly exposed to the new tariffs. The United States is the second-biggest importer of British-made cars after the European Union, with nearly a 20 per cent share, data from industry body SMMT shows.

Jaguar Land Rover, one of Britain’s biggest producers by volume, said in its statement that the US was an important market for its luxury brands. It sells 400,000 Range Rover Sports, Defenders and other models annually and exports to the US account for almost a quarter of sales.

While most UK goods are subject to a 10 per cent tariff, UK cars and car parts are subject to 25 per cent.

The Times reported that Jaguar Land Rover is thought to have a couple of months’ supply of cars already in the US, which will not be subject to the new tariffs.

President Donald Trump has said that the US needs to “hang tough” in light of his announcement to impose large tariffs on imports into America.

Posting on Truth Social on Saturday, Mr Trump admitted “it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic”.

The full post said: “China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close. They, and many other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly. We have been the dumb and helpless ‘whipping post’, but not any longer.

“We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than five trillion dollars of investment, and rising fast. This is an economic revolution, and we will win. Hang tough, it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic.

“We will make America great again.”

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as it works to “address the new trading terms” of president Donald Trump’s tariffs.

In a statement on Saturday, a JLR spokesperson said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid to longer-term plans.”