WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s strong-armed trade policies are setting off an intense scramble among industry groups, companies and foreign countries seeking exemptions from tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
The trade concerns come ahead of an upcoming round of new tariffs expected to be slapped on China by the end of the week.
Trump’s one-two punch on trade has set in motion a deluge of requests to the Commerce Department for exclusions for certain steel and aluminum products.
Foreign countries complain the U.S. Trade Representative’s office has not provided specific guidance on gaining exemptions before the steel and aluminum tariffs are implemented on Friday.
The Trump administration has already given Mexico and Canada a reprieve — provided they agree to a revamp of the North American Free Trade Agreement.