CANADA/FOREIGN POLICY/MEXICO/NAFTA/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Thursday [3-8-18] said he would maintain flexibility to adjust proposed metals tariffs on a country-by-country basis, hours before he is expected to meet with metal industry executives and workers to discuss the new trade actions… The president said tariffs might not be necessary on Canada and Mexico if the North American Free Trade Agreement was renegotiated to his satisfaction.
Mr. Trump also suggested there could be a carve-out for Australia, which he called a ‘great country’ and a ‘long-term partner.’… Mr. Trump said the new tariffs would start at 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum, but could be adjusted for specific countries…
Mr. Trump later Thursday is scheduled to hold a meeting with metal industry workers, though it remains uncertain whether he will formally roll out his proposal to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports there…
The president is expected to sign a decree this week laying out his plan to impose new tariffs on steel and aluminum, sparing both Canada and Mexico, after people on both sides of the issue made final pleas to either scuttle the measure or ensure he doesn’t back off. The tariffs would usher in a turn in trade policy that could recalibrate relations between the U.S. and its allies and trading partners.”
-Michael C. Bender, Peter Nicholas, and Rebecca Ballhaus, “Trump Says Adjustment of Metals Tariffs Would Be ‘Flexible’,” The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 8, 2018 12:23pm