The Trump administration, furious that Central American migrant asylum seekers continue to stream to the U.S., says that unless Mexico can "dramatically reduce or eliminate the number of illegal aliens" coming to the U.S., it will levy tariffs on all Mexican imports, starting June 10. The tariff will begin at 5 percent, go to 10 percent on July 1, and then increase by 5 percent each month until it reaches 25 percent on Oct. 1.

So grave would be the "ripple effect" damage to Americans if President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to impose tariffs on Mexican imports that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce won’t rule out mounting a legal challenge to block the duties, said the business group’s chief policy officer. "We have no choice but to explore every option available to push back,” Executive Vice President Neil Bradley told journalists Friday. To stem the influx of migrants at the southern border, Trump will use authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose 5 percent tariffs on Mexican imports starting June 10, the president said. “If the crisis persists,” he would hike the duties to 10 percent July 1, 15 percent Aug. 1, 20 percent Sept. 1, and 25 percent Oct. 1.

So grave would be the "ripple effect" damage to Americans if President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to impose tariffs on Mexican imports that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce won’t rule out mounting a legal challenge to block the duties, said the business group’s chief policy officer. The tariffs would have “such a negative impact for the American economy and American families, we have no choice but to explore every option available to push back,” Executive Vice President Neil Bradley told journalists Friday.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said it is considering suing the Trump administration over its use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to levy tariffs on all Mexican imports beginning June 10. The administration said it will start at 5 percent, and if Mexico does not do more to stem the flow of Central American migrants to the U.S., it will raise that tariff to 10 percent July 1, then increase it by 5 percent each month until it reaches 25 percent Oct. 1.

The Trump administration, furious that Central American migrant asylum seekers continue to stream to the U.S., says that unless Mexico can "dramatically reduce or eliminate the number of illegal aliens" coming to the U.S., it will levy tariffs on all Mexican imports, starting June 10. The tariff will begin at 5 percent, go to 10 percent on July 1, and then increase by 5 percent each month until it reaches 25 percent on Oct. 1.

U.S. exporters and others expressed concern over President Donald Trump’s May 30 threat to impose new tariffs on Mexico, saying the move would lead to retaliatory measures and would significantly damage U.S. manufacturers and farmers.

China is finding ways other than tariff increases to retaliate against U.S. exporters, further damaging the U.S.’s struggling agricultural export sector, panelists said during a Washington International Trade Association discussion on U.S.-China trade. The expected retaliation from China -- along with stalled trade negotiations and the increased difficulty of accessing China’s markets -- could lead to crippling, long-term consequences for some U.S. exporters, the panelists said.

Six weeks ago, the senior vice president of the U.S.-China Business Council believed the Trump administration's pressure was successfully empowering Chinese officials who believe in reforming China's capitalist/state-controlled hybrid economy. "I was pretty optimistic that we were, as a consequence, going to be able to say that the administration had achieved things that probably no previous administration had genuinely been able to achieve," Erin Ennis told an audience member at the Washington International Trade Association China trade panel May 29.

A third of Ohio farmers' production is exported, and 25 percent of Ohio's manufacturing jobs are supported by exports, said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who was U.S. Trade Representative during the George W. Bush administration. Portman, who gave a speech on the Senate floor the evening of May 22, praised the Trump administration for lifting Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico so that the NAFTA rewrite can be passed in Congress and in Mexico and Canada.

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for May 13-17 in case they were missed.