Elon Musk was speaking to far-right Italian leaders during a conference when he floated a possible future of a “ free trade zone between Europe and North America.“ Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to protect British businesses. Listen to Trump 100 analysis as you scroll.
Sunday 6 April 2025 08:17, UK
Live reporting by Kieren Williams
A non-tariff-related story to bring you quickly.
Sarah Boardman is a British artist who painted an official portrait of Donald Trump hanging in Colorado’s state capitol.
However, at the end of last month, Trump himself complained about the painting saying it had been „purposefully distorted“.
Following that, officials took down the painting.
In a statement to Sky News, she said she felt her „intentions, integrity, and abilities“ had been „called into question“ when the president criticised the oil painting.
Read more on the backlash she’s faced here…
Now to bring you some words from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The British leader spent yesterday fielding calls from other world leaders.
He wrote in The Sunday Telegraph, vowing to „shelter British business from the storm“.
The Labour leader warned: „Old assumptions can no longer be taken for granted.
„The world as we knew it has gone.“
Starmer said he would keep pushing for a deal with Trump and also suggested the government could step in to help businesses if necessary.
He also made pointed reference to „car manufacturers of the West Midlands“ on the day that auto giant Jaguar Land Rover said it was „pausing“ US shipments.
Starmer said he would seek to strengthen existing alliances and seek to reduce trade barriers to „other economies around the world“.
Read more on Starmer’s message to British commerce below…
While thousands hit the streets yesterday in the US protesting against Donald Trump, his most high-profile adviser Elon Musk was speaking to Italian far-right leaders at a conference.
Over video link, Musk spoke to Italy League leader Matteo Salvini – the deputy prime minister of Giorgia Meloni’s conservative government.
He said that he hoped for zero tariffs with Europe some day.
Musk’s words came less than a day after Trump’s baseline tariffs kicked in against Europe, and a few days ahead of another 20% tariff against the EU.
Musk said he hoped the US and Europe could create „a very close, stronger partnership“ and reach a „zero-tariff zone.“
The Tesla boss went on to add that ideally there will be a „zero-tariff zone in the future with a free trade zone between Europe and North America.“
Musk has played a key role in Trump’s efforts to downsize the US government through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
Welcome back to our live coverage as we continue to watch the economic and political fallout to Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs.
The US president unleashed the latest round of levies on his trade partners this weekend, after markets plunged into turmoil following his Rose Garden announcement.
Despite this, Trump remains defiant, telling Americans to „HANG TOUGH“.
Elon Musk, meanwhile, told far-right Italian leaders he hoped for a future in which Europe and the US could trade freely.
However, thousands of people took to the streets yesterday in demonstrations in every single state against both Trump and Musk.
In the UK, auto giant Jaguar Land Rover announced it was „pausing“ US shipments in light of the tariffs.
Elsewhere this side of the pond, Sir Keir Starmer fielded calls from world leaders yesterday in the day before writing in The Sunday Telegraph in the evening, vowing to protect British businesses.
Other world leaders have echoed Starmer’s call for calm, but China has been first out of the gate retaliating with similar tariffs to Trump’s own.
Yesterday, Beijing issued its own punchy statement aimed at the US leader.
Scroll back in the blog to catch up with all of yesterday’s headlines, and stay here with us as we keep track of all the latest developments this morning.
That’s all our coverage for now.
Thanks for following our posts today on the fallout from Donald Trump’s worldwide tariffs.
Scroll down to catch up on the news as it happened and we’ll sum up the biggest stories here.
10% baseline tariff kicks in
In the early hours of Saturday morning, US customs agents began collecting the 10% baseline tariff Trump announced on 2 April.
That is ahead of the reciprocal tariffs, which come into effect next week.
In an often-capitalised post on his Truth Social network, Trump said: „We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before.“
But he alluded to pain inflicted upon his own voters, adding: „HANG TOUGH, it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic.“
Jaguar Land Rover ‚pauses‘ US shipments
Perhaps the biggest news of the day in the UK was from automobile giant Jaguar Land Rover.
The company announced it is pausing shipments to the US for a month as it considers its future in light of Trump’s tariffs.
In a statement, it 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.“
Watch analysis from Sky News below
Europe holds – China attacks
Elsewhere, global markets were sent tumbling on Thursday and Friday following the announcement.
But in Europe, some national leaders cautioned against responding with tit-for-tat tariffs after the EU hinted at counter measures.
Meanwhile, in London, Sir Keir Starmer was fielding calls from other world leaders, trying to work out a response.
In an article for The Telegraph, he said the world „as we knew it has gone“ and „old assumptions can no longer be taken for granted“.
And China has decided not to take the tariffs lying down, announcing its own identical ones back on the US, of 34%.
It also accused Trump of using the levies „as a weapon“.
There were lots of protests on Saturday.
In Washington DC, a minister wearing a t-shirt with „Troublesome Priest“ printed on it told Sky News she found what was happening in government „appalling and immoral“.
By David Blevins, Sky News correspondent, in Washington DC
It was built to honour George Washington, a founding father of the United States.
And in the shadow of the 555ft Washington Monument, protesters were refusing to accept Donald Trump’s policies lying down.
„Stand tall,“ they chanted, again and again.
„In every city, stand tall. In every state, stand tall. In truth, stand tall. In justice, stand tall.“
Those words, shouted by thousands on the city’s iconic mall, were reinforced by the words on their placards and t-shirts.
A minister, wearing a t-shirt with „Troublesome Priest“ printed on it, told me she found what was happening in government „appalling and immoral“.
One man said he had won the long-distance award, having travelled 2,750 miles from Hawaii for the protest.
„I finally reached a breaking point. I couldn’t take it anymore,“ he added.
Another woman said: „We have to speak up, we have to act, we have to do something, because this is not America.“
I asked her what she would say to those who argue that the people did speak when they elected Donald Trump as president.
She replied: „Some people have spoken and then some people have not and those of us that have not, we need to speak now.“
The world „as we knew it has gone“ and „old assumptions can no longer be taken for granted“, the prime minister has said.
Sir Keir Starmer, reflecting on Donald Trump’s tariffs and on defence and national security, said the new world is „less governed by established rules and more by deals and alliances“.
„It demands the best of British virtues – cool heads, pragmatism and a clear understanding of our national interest,“ he has written in The Telegraph.
On tariffs, he said the „immediate priority“ is to „keep calm and fight for the best deal“.
The consequences of a trade war could be „profound“, he observed.
„We already have a balanced trading relationship with our American allies and work continues on a new economic prosperity deal.
„Nonetheless, all options remain on the table.
„I will only strike a deal if it is right for British business and the security of working people. And I will continue to make the case for free and open trade, because turning our back on that now would be a grave mistake.“
Sir Keir said he was prepared to use „industrial policy“ to „help shelter British business from the storm“.
He added: „Some people may feel uncomfortable about this – the idea the state should intervene directly to shape the market has often been derided.
„But we simply cannot cling on to old sentiments when the world is turning this fast.“
Job losses in the UK car industry are „inevitable“ following Donald Trump’s imposition of 25% tariffs, the former CEO of Aston Martin has told Sky News.
Andy Palmer was speaking after Jaguar Land Rover said it was going to „pause“ exports to the US in April, something Dr Palmer described as „very wise“.
President Trump’s policy decisions can be a „bit volatile“, he observed, and said the „last thing you want to do is to ship cars, with the tariff, only for the tariff to be removed later, leaving you with a group of cars that is overpriced“.
Asked whether there would be job losses in Britain, Dr Palmer replied: „Inevitably, yes.“
He continued: „It’s about 40,000 units a quarter for Jaguar Land Rover.
„That’s a lot of cars to take out of production.
„Tariffs are a very blunt instrument – almost certainly all of the cost gets borne by the consumer, and that means that Jaguar Land Rovers will be more expensive in the US market, which is their largest market.
„All car companies hate uncertainty and so they’ll all be looking for guidance to the government to see whether or not Keir Starmer can manage to negotiate away the tariffs for the UK.“
Building a factory in the US would take two years and require hundreds of millions of pounds of investment.
Dr Palmer said the tariffs were bad news for the US, too, noting that „nobody wins“.
Car manufacturing is a global industry.
„Many of the batteries that go into a Tesla, for example, may well be made outside of the US,“ Dr Palmer said.
„Same is true for General Motors, same is true for Ford.“
More from France now, and its economy could contract by at least 0.5% because of President Trump’s tariffs, Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has told Le Parisien newspaper.
He described the levies as „outrageous“ and warned of a „global crisis“.
„Trump’s policies could cost us more than 0.5% of our GDP,“ Bayrou said.
„The imposition of these outrageous tariffs will lead to a global crisis.
„The risk of job losses is significant, as is that of an economic slowdown.“
Under Trump’s plans announced on Wednesday, France will be subject to a general tariff of 20%, along with other European Union countries.
France’s President Macron – who spoke to Sir Keir Starmer earlier – says a trade war is in „no one’s interest“.
He also says that in the „face of the world’s great shocks, we must move forward together“.
Macron says he and the prime minister „reaffirmed our determination to closely coordinate our positions in the ongoing discussions with President Donald Trump“.
He adds on X: „A trade war is in no one’s interest.
„We must stand united and resolute to protect our citizens and our businesses.“
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Tariffs latest: Jaguar Land Rover to halt shipments to US – as anti-Trump protests taking place – Sky News
