Trump tariffs would put Welsh jobs at risk, says first minister

Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan has warned that jobs in Wales will be put at risk if US President Donald Trump imposes new tariffs on the UK.

Morgan said Wales - which exports £2.2bn worth of goods to the US - faces a "disproportionate impact" to the UK as a whole, and told BBC Wales she is writing to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to "make sure he understands".

Two-thirds of exports from Wales to the US are for goods, compared to one-third for the UK as a whole. The only other type of export, for services, is exempt from the tax.

Trump threatened to impose 10% tariffs on eight European countries - including the UK - who are opposed to his desire to take over Greenland.

Trump has also threatened tariffs of 25% in June if he does not get his way.

On Monday Sir Keir said using of tariffs against allies was "not the right way to resolve differences", and that the "right approach" was through "calm discussion".

Later, Morgan told BBC Wales: "There will be a disproportionate impact on Wales. We export more in terms of goods compared to the United Kingdom proportionately, and that means jobs are at risk."

Morgan said that her job was to "stand firm", make sure her message was heard and that she would be writing to Sir Keir about the impact on Wales.

Pressed on whether Sir Keir should respond with reciprocal tariffs, she said she recognised the need to maintain a good relationship with the US, and that the prime minister was trying to "cool the temperature".

She added: "I think everything should be on the table in terms of if this progresses, but at the moment we need to try and calm the temperature down."

Morgan said it was up to the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide their future and not Trump.

She did not directly answer whether Trump was a "friend" of Wales, but said that his country was.

Welsh government figures showed that Wales exported £2.2bn worth of products to the US in the year to September 2025.

The biggest selling type of product is machinery and transport equipment, worth £1.2bn.

Wales also sold £424m worth of chemicals, including £188m worth of medicinal and pharmaceutical products.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth called for Sir Keir to do more, saying: "The threat to annex territory, coupled with the use of tariffs to bully allies into submission, is an unacceptable abuse of power and should be met with a far stronger challenge than that given by the prime minister this morning."

A Welsh Conservative spokesman said: "We are concerned about the impact of tariffs on the Welsh and wider UK economy."