TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is expected to sign a proclamation Thursday [3-8-18] afternoon outlining his plan to impose new tariffs on steel and aluminum, according to a White House official familiar with the planning, delivering on a signature campaign promise despite the concerns of many trading partners and lawmakers.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday there may be “potential carveouts” for Mexico, Canada and possibly other countries. But officials said it was unclear whether that would be addressed on Thursday; Mr. Trump may take additional action later to give national-security exemptions on a country-by-country basis.
Invitations were issued Wednesday afternoon for the Thursday event, which will include industry executives and workers. There is no sunset provision for the tariffs or review period stipulated in the proposal, the White House official said…
Among the remaining hangups in the White House is how to give the president flexibility to approve exemptions for certain countries. One concern was that creating exemptions would undercut the national-security rationale for the new tariffs, one official said.”
-Michael C. Bender, Louise Radnofsky, and William Mauldin, “Donald Trump Expected to Sign New Tariffs Proclamation on Thursday,” The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 7, 2018 04:18pm