On March 22, President Trump issued two new Proclamations exempting Australia, Argentina, South Korea, Brazil, and EU member countries from the Section 232 aluminum and steel tariffs, which enter into force March 23, until May 1, 2018.
A statement issued by the White House said the president made the decision “based on factors including ongoing discussions regarding measures to reduce global excess capacity in steel and aluminum production by addressing its root causes.”
President Trump will decide by May 1 whether or not to continue to exempt these countries based on the status of the discussions.
Canada and Mexico were exempted in the original Proclamations on steel and aluminum issued on March 8. Both are now subject to the same May 1 deadline for the U.S. to evaluate whether the countries’ exemptions will continue.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a message via its Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) late on March 22 providing direction on the exemption of the countries named above.