Mexico, Canada And Others May Be Exempted From US Tariffs

[edpc]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House said Wednesday that Mexico, Canada and other countries may be spared from President Donald Trump's planned steel and aluminum tariffs under national security "carve-outs," a move that could soften the blow amid threats of retaliation by trading partners and dire economic warnings from lawmakers and business groups.

Peter Navarro, Trump's trade and manufacturing adviser, said in an interview on Fox Business that the tariffs would go into effect within about 15 to 30 days and the proclamation the president intends to sign would include a clause that would not immediately impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters the exemptions would be made on a "case by case" and "country by country" basis, a reversal from the policy articulated by the White House just days ago that there would be no exemptions from Trump's plan.

The update came as congressional Republicans and business groups braced for the impact of expected tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum, appearing resigned to additional protectionist trade actions as Trump signaled upcoming economic battles with China. Trump was expected to announce the tariffs by the end of the week.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/more-warnings-come-response-trumps-tariff-plans-051745386--finance.html

[Concerned]

He is all over the place.  On Monday, he explicitly tied the tariffs to Canada and Mexico and indicated they'd only come off if Canada and Mexico renegotiated NAFTA to be more fair to the US.  Now the Administration says, Canada and Mexico may be exempted.  This is why you don't announce a new policy before you've actually thought it through.  From his Monday tweets:

We have large trade deficits with Mexico and Canada. NAFTA, which is under renegotiation right now, has been a bad deal for U.S.A. Massive relocation of companies & jobs. Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum will only come off if new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed. Also, Canada must..

...treat our farmers much better. Highly restrictive. Mexico must do much more on stopping drugs from pouring into the U.S. They have not done what needs to be done. Millions of people addicted and dying.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/05/trump-says-tariffs-will-only-come-off-if-new-and-fair-nafta-agreement-is-signed.html