In a White House signing ceremony, the President signed proclamations to impose import tariffs on Steel and Aluminum, which triggers the 15 days to begin the application of duties. The speech provided few details, nor has the official White House Press release. This is what we know:
- “The President is exercising his authority to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports in order to protect our national security”
- “The President recognizes that Canada and Mexico present a special case, and will continue ongoing discussions with those countries to address our concerns.”
- “The President welcomes any country with which we have a security relationship to discuss alternative ways to address our concerns, including our concerns about global excess capacity. He has left open an avenue for potentially modifying or removing a tariff under certain conditions for individual countries. Modification or removal of the tariffs would be possible if alternative means are agreed upon to ensure imports from a country no longer threaten to impair our national security. Under the direction of the President, the United States Trade Representative is responsible for negotiations with countries that seek an alternative means to the steel and aluminum tariffs.”
- “In addition, there will be a mechanism for U.S. parties to apply for exclusion of specific products based on demand that is unmet by domestic production or on specific national security considerations. This process will be managed by the Department of Commerce in consultation with other Federal agencies.”
We will keep you informed as more details become available.