CANADA/EU/MEXICO/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration said on Thursday [5-31-18] that it would impose tariffs on metals imported from its closest allies, a measure certain to strain diplomatic relationships and provoke retaliation against businesses and consumers in the United States. Tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum from the European Union, Canada and Mexico, which together supply nearly half of America’s imported metal, are to take effect at midnight Thursday, Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, said on a call with reporters. The move follows months of uncertainty during which the Trump administration dangled potential exemptions to the tariffs in return for concessions on other fronts, including voluntary limits on metal shipments to the United States and reduced tariffs on imports from America. In trying to create leverage by keeping its trading partners guessing, the administration sowed an atmosphere of chaos among allies as well as manufacturers uncertain about the ultimate impact on their vast supply chains.”
-Ana Swanson, “White House to Impose Metal Tariffs on Key U.S. Allies, Risking Retaliation,” The New York Times online, May 31, 2018