IN the wake of Donald Trump’s announcement of new import taxes for the UK, the Mid-Devon Advertiser has spoken with a manufacturer of precision propellers based in Newton Abbot to see what it makes of the new import tax.

With more than 100 employees, factories in Newton Abbot, Dubai and India and offices across the globe, Teignbridge Propellers are a world-leading designer and manufacturer of precision performance propellers, sterngear and propulsion products.

It is the largest propeller and stern gear producer of its kind in Europe.

And with the 47th president of the United States having announced ten percent tariffs on most countries, including the UK, the Mid-Devon Advertiser asked the company how to thought the tariffs would affect them.

‘Although we are 80 percent export, nearly all of our exports go east into Europe, the Middle East and Asia, probably less than five percent goes to the USA’ Teignbridge Propellers’ Group Managing Director, Mark Phare, said.

‘The parts we do sell are usually spares for customers boats, so they will have to pay the ten percent tariffs if they want OEM propellers that match the originals.

‘As a result, I can’t see the tariffs adversely impacting our business from a sales perspective’ Mark added.

Last year, the UK exported close to £60billion worth of goods to the US, the bulk being machinery, cars and pharmaceutical products.

Mark did, however, make the point about metal prices, and how said prices could be affected by Trump’s tariffs.

‘Our raw materials, bronze and stainless steel are priced according to global markets, mostly dictated by LME prices’ Mark said.

‘We will have to wait and see what impact the tariffs have on global metal prices’ he added.

Mark said that the raw materials can represent up to half the cost of a propeller.