FOREIGN POLICY/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Thursday [3-8-18] signed proclamations imposing steep tariffs on steel and aluminum but granting the administration flexibility on the levels and the ability to spare critical U.S. allies… But both Mr. Trump and a senior administration official, speaking Thursday morning ahead of the 3:30 p.m. announcement, indicated that the planned tariff policy had evolved significantly during fierce internal debates over the past few days, as well as warnings from close military allies that blocking their exports could undermine their relations with the U.S.
The details of the tariffs now appear dependent on negotiations with allies likely to unfold in the coming weeks and months.
Both Canada and Mexico would be exempt from the outset, though their continued exemption would be contingent on the outcome of ongoing negotiations to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement as well as broader talks about security ties among the neighbors, the senior administration official told reporters ahead of announcement…Mr. Trump also said the 25% and 10% numbers could be adjusted for specific countries.
Both Mr. Trump and the aide repeatedly used the word ‘flexible’ to describe a policy that a week earlier had been described as strict and ambitious in its goal of blocking a significant amount of imports.”
-Jacob M. Schlesinger, Michael C. Bender, and Peter Nicholas, “Trump Signs Metals Tariffs Sparing Some Allies,”The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 8, 2018 04:00pm