UK PM Starmer opposes tariffs on allies, advocates for dialogue and partnership
By Ghiles Guezout
Date Published: 19 Jan 2026 | Date Modified: 19 Jan 2026
POPULAR ARTICLES
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said tariffs should not be used against allies and warned that a trade war would be in no one’s interest, as he emphasized partnership, dialogue and respect for international law in comments addressing rising geopolitical and economic tensions, according to Reuters.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said tariffs should not be used against allies and warned that a trade war would be in no one’s interest, as he emphasized partnership, dialogue and respect for international law in comments addressing rising geopolitical and economic tensions, according to Reuters.
Starmer said his priority is ensuring the UK avoids being drawn into a tariff war, arguing that tariffs are not the right path forward and that economic pressure should not be framed as a tool for resolving security concerns.
Key takeaways
Tariffs should not be used against allies.
We believe in partnership.
We will keep dialogue open.
Will defend international law.
My focus is making sure we don't get into tariff war.
Tariffs not the right way ahead.
Not helpful to frame efforts to strengthen greenland security as a justification for economic pressure.
Trade war in no one's interest.
Our commitment to international law is practical.
This is a moment for country to pull together.
We will work with allies in Europe, NATO and US.
Market reaction
The GBP/USD pair remains on an upward trend, gaining 0.20% on the day to around 1.3400 at the time of writing.
Pound Sterling Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies today. British Pound was the strongest against the US Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.23% | -0.18% | -0.09% | -0.22% | -0.18% | -0.40% | -0.55% | |
| EUR | 0.23% | 0.06% | 0.15% | 0.02% | 0.05% | -0.17% | -0.31% | |
| GBP | 0.18% | -0.06% | 0.11% | -0.04% | -0.00% | -0.23% | -0.37% | |
| JPY | 0.09% | -0.15% | -0.11% | -0.15% | -0.11% | -0.32% | -0.48% | |
| CAD | 0.22% | -0.02% | 0.04% | 0.15% | 0.04% | -0.18% | -0.34% | |
| AUD | 0.18% | -0.05% | 0.00% | 0.11% | -0.04% | -0.23% | -0.35% | |
| NZD | 0.40% | 0.17% | 0.23% | 0.32% | 0.18% | 0.23% | -0.15% | |
| CHF | 0.55% | 0.31% | 0.37% | 0.48% | 0.34% | 0.35% | 0.15% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the British Pound from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent GBP (base)/USD (quote).
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