The UK is in a “very different position than the EU” and does not want to be “pushed off course” by global tariffs imposed by Donald Trump from its pursuit of an economic deal with the US, a Treasury minister has insisted.

Asked whether Britain’s response to the tariffs could be called weak in comparison with Brussels, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray told Sky News: “Well, we’re in a very different position than the EU as a result of the Prime Minister’s trip to Washington last month.

“The UK and the US have been negotiating rapidly for an economic agreement, and so we’re in a position where that negotiation is ongoing and these global tariffs, if you like, have landed in the middle of that work. So we don’t want to be pushed off course by this.

“We want to carry on with our rapid negotiation toward an economic agreement, because we think that’s in the best interest of British businesses and the British public.”

Mr Murray said the UK should avoid a “knee-jerk response”.

“We think the right response is to continue pragmatically, cool-headedly, without a knee-jerk response, but toward our economic agreement that we’re negotiating with the US to secure, because that’s in the best interests of the UK.”