President Donald Trump acted to exempt graffiti, tungsten, uranium, gold bars and other metals of his national tariffs, while subjecting silicone products at the rates. Changes should come into force on Monday (8), under an executive order issued on Friday (5).
Trump’s guideline can also accelerate the implementation of tailored business agreements between the US and other countries. This would make it easier for Washington to suspend tariffs on aircraft parts, generic pharmaceuticals and certain products that cannot be cultivated, extracted or naturally produced in the domestic market – such as spices and coffee as well as obscure metals.
The measure formalizes a plan to exempt the golden bars of tariffs, after a decision of US border customs and protection weeks ago surprised the merchants and caused confusion by indicating that gold would be subject to import taxes.
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Tariff Trump
Changes were made by recommendations from US authorities, says the president’s order. According to the measure, “these modifications are necessary and appropriate to deal with the national emergency” that Trump first stated by imposing his tariffs at the national level in April.
Under procedural change, the US commerce representative and the Department of Commerce would have powers to take action to implement a framework agreements with other nations, such as the agreements Trump signed with the European Union, Japan and South Korea. This would eliminate Trump’s need to promulgate these changes through their own executive orders.
The EU chief of commerce, Maros Sefcovic, greeted the measure, writing on Saturday in an X post that “paves the way for car and pieces to fall to 15% and guarantees important exemptions from the limit of 15%.”
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The EU is eager to avoid higher US tariffs in its automotive sector. Although Friday’s order does not provide immediate relief, it is being seen as a positive step.
Commercial imbalance
Trump’s global tariffs are the centerpiece of his comprehensive effort to deal with the trade imbalances he has denounced as a threat to national security. Before increasing dozens of specific rates for each country last month, the president closed agreements with various economies to establish lower rates in exchange for foreign capital to remove barriers to American products.
Tariffs, and some of the agreements, were frantically prepared over several months and have generated complaints that they could disturb the main markets and increase the price of goods that cannot be cultivated or produced in the US.
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Reciprocal tariffs are being suspended for a series of minerals, including critical materials used in the aerospace industry, consumer electronics, medical devices and other technologies.
Pharmaceutical products such as psuedoefhedrine, antibiotics and other medicines – which are already subject to a separate commercial investigation in progress of the Department of Commerce – are also gaining new relief.
In addition to silicone products, the president is extending his reciprocal tariffs for aluminum resin and hydroxide.
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