President Donald Trump seems determined to tax steel and aluminum imports by next week without exceptions for allies, said the US Commerce Secretary.
I know he has had conversations with various world leaders,”
said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on ABC’s.
Trump sparked fears of an international trade war and a protest by US business partners when he rashly announced 25% general tariffs for imported steel and 10% for aluminum.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said she raised her “deep concern” about these rates in a phone call to Trump on Sunday, according to her office.
According to Ross, 9,000 million dollars in tariffs of the United States would be only a fraction of 1% of the economy of the country,
so the idea that this would destroy many jobs and increase prices is wrong,”
said Ross.
The European Union has said it is drawing up measures targeting major US brands, such as motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson and Levi’s garments, while China warned that “it will not sit idly by if its interests are damaged.
Canada, which has more to do with US imports of steel and aluminum, said those rates were unacceptable.
Costa Rica would be affected, since it’s one of the countries exporting these materials to the United States. President Luis Guillermo Solis affirmed that they are closely following the decisions taken by Donald Trump to analyze the scenarios. The Minister of Foreign Trade, Alexander Mora, is aware of all movements on this issue.