the goods

It is not clear what international route the goods took - the documents indicate some of the shipments may actually have originated in Thailand.

If he goes ahead and introduces tariffs - a tax imposed by one country on the goods and services imported from another - it could lead to a rise in prices, including in the UK, economists say.

“Much of the goods America imports are intermediate goods used in the production of other things,” thus lifting costs across the board for products manufactured in the U.S. and causing economywide “self-harm,” according to Jonathan Humphrey, senior economist at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

They raise prices on many of the goods Americans buy, pushing inflation upward, and they almost always prompt other countries to retaliate by imposing tariffs on U.S. exports.

The UK could try and remain neutral, but would struggle to avoid the crossfire, especially for the goods trade in pharmaceuticals and cars.