Britain faces tough choices with threats of blanket tariffs, and pressure to deregulate finance and ease controls on big tech

Britain entered a rare deficit in its goods trade with the United States at the end of last year, according to data published on Thursday that London will hope bolsters its case against the imposition of new tariffs by President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump is taking a blowtorch to the rules that have governed world trade for decades. The “reciprocal’’ tariffs that he announced Thursday are likely to create chaos for global businesses and conflict with America’s allies and adversaries alike.