The whole idea is that these tariffs won’t last forever, that manufacturing investment takes years to put in place, and under the rules you only have to be planning to invest to get exemption from the tariffs.
I have set up a unit in Whitehall to help companies start the process of planning to invest in the US with business plans, site selection, embassy interviews where needed, IP protections how to deal with CFIUS.
We are also looking at companies in chip related businesses in the USA with which British companies could form a link which would count as investment in US manufacturing as a way to avoid the 100% tariff.
Extracting the trusty burner blower, I get my old shipmate Slidey Slieder who I used to mentor in his early days in a chip company we both worked for and who is now a commercial attaché at the US embassy in London.
“Look Slidey some of the chaps here may need a bit of help in establishing US manufacturing credentials if these 100% tariffs actually happen.”
“And they will get it Ed,” said Slidey, “100% tariffs suck and we’ll help your guys establish baseline qualifications as US manufacturers when and if the tariffs get introduced.”
The flood of alarm from British companies who would see their businesses destroyed by 100% import tariffs will, I fancy, translate into some respectable emoluments for Yours Truly in formulating these ‘baseline qualifications’ – if and when the time comes
