Steel and aluminium tariff
China to restrict imports of scrap steel, aluminum from July
Relevant departments were researching the formulation of standards for recycled copper and aluminum, the Chinese environment ministry said.
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies wrote submissions to the US arguing that South Africa should be exempt from the tariff hikes due to the impact it could have on local jobs.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Trump directed the increase from a previously proposed 10% duty because China has refused to meet US demands.
Europe has agreed to increase purchases of US liquefied natural gas and lower trade barriers to American soybeans, aiding US farmers and the energy sector, Trump said.
It is a clear signal the US President Donald Trump is determined to stick with tariffs as his weapon of choice in the conflict.
US Customs and Border Protection said in a notice it would begin collecting the 25% duties on 818 product lines identified in June by the US Trade Representative’s Office.
The United States has “a big disadvantage with the WTO. And we’re not planning anything now, but if they don’t treat us properly, we’ll be doing something,” Trump said, without elaborating.
The list will contain 800 product categories, down from 1,300 previously, according to another administration official and an industry source familiar with the list.
Trump is due to unveil revisions to his initial tariff list targeting $50 billion of Chinese goods on Friday.
Freeland said after talks with members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee that US trade actions against Canada are illegal under World Trade Organisation rules.
The duties came into effect in mid-March and include a 10% tariff on the imports of aluminium and a 25% tariff on imports of steel into the US.
The decisions came just hours before temporary exemptions from the tariffs on these countries were set to expire at 12:01 am on Tuesday.
The European Union raised the possibility of taking countermeasures, France said the duties would be unacceptable and China urged US President Donald Trump to show restraint.