The fact that the White House reciprocal tariff memo covers far more than tariffs gives the administration a great deal of leeway to impose tariffs on even trading partners like Canada, Mexico and South Korea that have virtually no tariffs on U.S. exports.
The reciprocal tariffs that the U.S. intends to levy on imports -- which could be announced as soon as April 2 -- may not be a one-for-one match of the tariff rate of another country for that product. Rather, they could take into account wage suppression, exchange rate management, "mercantilist policies," non-tariff barriers, value-added tax and extraterritorial taxes.
President Donald Trump's chief spokesman from his first term said that half-baked orders from the White House -- like an order to end de minimis for Chinese goods that CBP was not ready to implement -- is in part a result of Trump's memories of his staff trying to slow-walk and stop his tariff ideas.
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Jamieson Greer, Trump's pick to be U.S. trade representative, told Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that he will make sure that the appropriateness of the 2.5% tariff on cars is reviewed as part of the sunset review for USMCA. Sanders, the most famous leftist in the Senate, had pointed out in his written questions that 2.5% is not high enough to convince all Mexican exporters to follow USMCA rules of origin.
In the fourth week of the second Trump administration, businesses awaited the details of what a reciprocal tariff approach could be -- and how fast the tariff schedule could be altered to have a different rate for every product that the U.S. exports to countries at a higher rate than the U.S. most-favored nation rate.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force 1 on Feb. 9, said he will impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum from all countries. Most countries' aluminum is currently subject to 10% tariffs, with Canada and Mexico exempted from Section 232 steel and aluminum duties. He did not say when the tariff changes would take effect.
Even as President Donald Trump talked about his intention to announce tariff changes next week, he expressed confidence that Japan might be spared, because of their promises to buy more American exports.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters during a Feb. 7 press conference with Japan's Prime Minister, said that he would probably announce, either Monday or Tuesday, Feb. 10 or Feb. 11, "reciprocal tariffs where a country pays so much or charges us so much and we do the same, so very reciprocal because I think that's the only fair way to do it, that way nobody's hurt. They charge us, we charge them."
The nominee to lead the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, told New Mexico Democrat Sen. Ben Lujan that, as he starts a sunset review of USMCA, he thinks rules of origin should be tightened up in some sectors.