The focus of current discussions is “not about who owns it — it’s the melt and pour rules,” he told reporters, referring to rules which would mean that steel must be melted and poured in the U.K. to qualify for tariff relief.
Starmer also said that de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict will be the number-one issue at this G7 summit.
World leaders are calling for both sides to step back from the brink of all-out war, after missile attacks continue to intensify in both directions.
The prime minister announced the U.K. was on Monday setting up a portal for British citizens in Israel to register themselves.
The prime minister said: “It is really important that we focus on de-escalation, because the risks of the conflict escalating are obvious across the region, beyond the region, the impact that this could and probably will have on Gaza, which is a tinderbox, and, of course, the impact on the economy.
“That is why at the G7 there is such a focus on de-escalation.”
Dan Bloom and Graham Lanktree contributed to this report.
