President Donald Trump, when asked about whether Canada and Mexico had done enough on the border to be spared 25% tariffs on their goods, went on a rant about how the U.S. has been taken advantage of by its trading partners, and said that reciprocal tariffs will go forward.
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The reciprocal tariffs the Trump administration has promised will present a challenge for CBP to enforce, trade lawyers said during a webinar presented by Baker McKenzie on Feb. 20.
Kevin Hassett, a top economic adviser who returned for President Donald Trump's second term, told reporters at the White House on Feb. 21 that he and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had just met with top Mexican officials about fentanyl and about reciprocal trade.
President Donald Trump, in a meandering speech at an investors conference in Miami Feb. 19, said he'd be announcing "tariffs on cars and semiconductors and chips and pharmaceuticals, drugs, and pharmaceuticals, and lumber, probably, and some other things, over the next month, or sooner -- and it'll have a big impact in America."
Improving trade for U.S. cars in Europe is "clearly the priority" for American trade negotiators, according to European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, who had a four-hour meeting Feb. 19 with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. trade representative nominee Jamieson Greer and Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council.
President Donald Trump said that he will "probably" say more about the scope of tariffs on cars "on April 2, but it'll be in the neighborhood of 25%," in response to a question at a press conference Feb. 18.
The European Commission knocked down reporting that it is ready to drop its 10% tariffs on autos, and defended the pattern of trade between the EU and the U.S. in a FAQ document on the concept of reciprocal tariffs.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
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.