President Trump signed an executive order Feb. 10 that will hike tariffs on imported aluminum to 25%, ends quota arrangements with the EU, South Korea and Brazil in steel and aluminum, and curtails both product exclusions and the exemptions for Canada and Mexico.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Feb. 10 that will hike tariffs on imported aluminum to 25%, ends quota arrangements with the EU, South Korea and Brazil in steel and aluminum, and curtails both product exclusions and the exemptions for Canada and Mexico.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force 1 on Feb. 9, said he will impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum from all countries. Most countries' aluminum is currently subject to 10% tariffs, with Canada and Mexico exempted from Section 232 steel and aluminum duties. He did not say when the tariff changes would take effect.
The nominee to lead the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, told New Mexico Democrat Sen. Ben Lujan that, as he starts a sunset review of USMCA, he thinks rules of origin should be tightened up in some sectors.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Jan. 27 - Feb. 2:
Howard Lutnick, whose nomination advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee Feb. 2 with a 16-12 vote, told senators from both parties that, despite the president's announcements that he would have "direct responsibilities over the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative," the scope of responsibilities for the USTR won't change, and his agency will coordinate with others working on trade policy.
Trade lawyers at Thompson Hine told clients and stakeholders that the old approaches to lobbying for North American trade don't work on the Trump administration. Don't try arguing that sourcing in Mexico makes your products more price competitive. Don't explain that the three countries' manufacturing supply chains are integrated. Don't tell them that 60% of the value of the Mexican car was in U.S. parts exported to the assembly plant. Don't try to argue that a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada will cause inflation. "They don't want to hear, 'It's going to cost more,' said Dan Ujczo, a senior counsel at the law firm. "'We have invested x amount of dollars, and here are the jobs in the United States,' that’s what they want to hear."
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Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to President Donald Trump who was known as a China hawk when he served in the president's first administration, said the Commerce Department will be conducting Section 232 investigations on how the steel and aluminum actions should be adjusted, and how imports of critical minerals and essential medicines "are harming [our] ability to produce" those goods.
Two Democrats have introduced a bill in the Senate that, if it becomes law, would prevent a president from levying tariffs on free-trade partners, on NATO members and on major non-NATO allies without congressional approval.