US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced today a list of countries that will be temporarily excluded from the Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs. According to media reports, Lighthizer told the Senate Finance Committee that the Trump administration would base exemptions on “a certain set of criteria” while continuing to negotiate.
In addition to the European Union, the exempt countries are Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and South Korea. Previously, Canada and Mexico were also excluded from tariffs on a temporary basis while Lighthizer continues to renegotiate NAFTA.
“There are countries with whom we're negotiating and the question becomes the obvious one that you think, as a matter of business, how does this work? So what he has decided to do is to pause the imposition of the tariffs with respect to those countries,” Lighthizer said in media reports.
The 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent tariff on aluminum is set to go into effect for all other countries Friday, March 23.