Donald Trump has been told his trade tariff war will hurt millions of ordinary Americans he seeks to protect. The US President was issued an unequivocal message from the straight-talking cradle of the Industrial Revolution, warning that sparking a trade war would be bad for business. Washington has vowed to slap 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into the US.

Bridgnorth Aluminium operates the only fully integrated aluminium coil rolling plant in the UK, employing 330 people and selling 20% of what it makes in America. And President Trump was given notice that the introduction of protectionist tariffs would spark global jitters while plunging the US into chaos and turmoil.

Tariffs are a key part of a White House vision to boost US manufacturing and protect jobs, but experts say they will inflate prices for consumers

Bridgnorth Aluminium boss Adrian Musgrave said: “These tariffs add another dimension to the global uncertainty we are all currently dealing with.

“If there is no movement on the 25% rate it will make trading with the US more difficult for us as a business, but it could also cause supply and cost issues for firms in America too.”

Mr Musgrave added: “For example, for a significant portion of our US sales, there is currently no US producer. This means there is no threat to domestic aluminium production, yet companies using our aluminium may soon be hit by rising costs.

“What would we like to see? A deal between the UK and the US that removes tariffs all together or significantly reduces it from the 25% rate. This is something we are championing with the Department for Business and Trade and key manufacturing bodies, such as the Aluminium Federation, Confederation of British Metalforming and Make UK.”

Bridgnorth, which boasts a population of 12,000, was the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution, a period of seismic technological, scientific, and industrial change in Britain in the 18th century, transforming agrarian societies into industrialised cities. The town was noted for the production of steam engines and iron.

Nearby, the world’s first cast-iron bridge, a monument to the industry that made Britain a global powerhouse, was built in 1779 across The Ironbridge Gorge which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.