Liberal Democrats have demanded support for the Falklands after it was claimed Donald Trump's "outrageous act of aggression" could be the island's "biggest threat" since Argentina's invasion. Sir Ed Davey called on Sir Keir Starmer to include the Falkland Islands in its trade negotiations with the US after the US President imposed a huge 42% tax on its goods, one of the highest in the world.

He said: "Trump's trade war could be the biggest threat facing Falklanders since Argentina's invasion. The UK government has a responsibility to step up and defend British citizens everywhere – including in the Falklands. President Trump has arbitrarily decided to hit Falklanders with some of his highest tariffs in an outrageous act of aggression that cannot be allowed to stand." He urged Sir Keir to urgently meet Falklands Governor Alison Blake to discuss the impact of the tariffs.

Teslyn Barkman, who oversees trade in the Falklands parliament, said taxes would impact the economy, which is heavily dependent on the sale of fish to the European Union and the US, as well as tourism.

She told the BBC the tariffs were "a surprise", and added: "The fact a global superpower such as the US was paying attention to us at all caught us off guard."

Only eight other countries were given higher rates on Trump's list of tariffs, which are due to come into effect on Wednesday, and contrasts the 10% on UK products.

The Falkland Islands is an archipelago and British territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean with a population of about 3,600 people.

However, Barkman didn't suggest retaliatory measures as they wanted a "warm" relationship with the US.

She said the territory was working with UK government to understand how the US tariff could be reduced or removed.