Posted on 03/17/2018 9:11:44 AM PDT by reaganaut1
WASHINGTON — President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum has prompted a stampede by foreign countries and companies and their American partners pressing for exemptions and exclusions that could be worth billions of dollars in trade.
Corporations and foreign leaders are leaning on personal relationships in vying for meetings with White House officials, hiring lawyers and lobbyists to defend them, and drafting messages to persuade the public of the importance of free trade.
On Thursday afternoon, top oil and gas executives left an American Petroleum Institute board meeting at the Trump International Hotel in Washington and headed to the White House to personally lobby Mr. Trump, telling him that his pending steel tariffs could raise the cost of pipelines and extraction projects across the country, and discussing possible exemptions.
Three days earlier, the American Soybean Association, whose members are among the biggest United States exporters, requested a meeting with Mr. Trump. After hearing nothing, they sent 120 farmers and association employees to meet with lawmakers from farming states, arguing that the tariffs could set off retaliation and hurt American agriculture.
The rush started when Mr. Trump floated the potential for exclusions, saying that Canada and Mexico would be exempted from the 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum as the countries renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. He also spoke warmly of Australia as an ally and trading partner, and said that other nations with close relationships to the United States might be exempted, too.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Is anyone — including the strongest supporters of tariffs here on FR — surprised by this? LOL.
Trump is simply imposing tariffs to FORCE renegotiations.
Perot was right about NAFTA
Our high end steel is made in AMERCICA! We aren’t building ships or pipelines with Chinese crap!
What we have been doing is giving the Chicoms and the rest our secrets for cheap trade.
It has devastated our economy.
Favoritism and kick backs is what got us into this mess Trump is right.
There is no free market in the US, there will always be favored interest groups.
What’s the import tariff that China charges on U. S. Steel & Aluminum again?
Some people need to calm down and not jump to conclusions before they know which countries, what products, and how much. Trump’s approach is “reciprocity.”
Nice that you’re worried about our government picking winners (Americans) and losers (not Americans).
China of course does the very same thing, although much more ruthlessly:
https://www.export.gov/article?id=China-Import-Tariffs
“Importers note that their domestic competitors often fail to pay taxes” - quote from the link.
The “relationship” between Communist China and the States that once were United is so lopsided it’s comical. If it weren’t so disgusting.
Save your theoretical purist crap for the textbooks.
Not surprised that the lobbyists are out in force but I doubt that Trump will allow anyone to be bought - those who try to sell his policies will be very unhappy with the attention he gives them...so the last LOL will likely be Trump's...
Don't be surprised if Congress slips a tariff reduction measure into one of these spending bills that will be needed to keep the government funded.
And if they do, do you think Trump won’t call them on it? He won’t sell himself and he’ll be damned sure that the RINOs in Congress don’t try to prostitute his policies.
He’ll sign whatever they put on his desk. I can guarantee that.
>> By imposing tariffs, the government picks winners and losers <<
Ho hum. Just a little central planning. Brings back fond nostalgia for GOSPLAN, FDR’s New Deal, and the Gospel According to John Kenneth Galbraith.
Who could possibly raise an objection to such a noble undertaking?
My best man looks just like Perot LOL
“if you don’t like the smell of burning beans, stay out of the kitchen!”
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