The European Union and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross are meeting in Washington, D.C. this week to consider a potential tariff exemption.
The EU is exploring an exemption from President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, according to Politico. The EU is seeking “more clarity” on the criteria on which such an exemption could be granted.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has named five criteria for a potential exclusion from the tariffs, but EU diplomats have criticized them on the basis that they have been left purposely vague. Any EU exemption to the tariffs must be finalized by Thursday, at the latest, as the tariffs take effect Friday.
Last week, the EU made public its retaliation targets, which include U.S. rice, cranberries, peanut butter and products from cotton, along with bourbon and U.S. motorcycles. Absent from the list, for now, is dairy products, which were expected from federal lawmakers in Wisconsin. The EU list is far from final, however, as a comment period is open to allow the EU to gather further target suggestions.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.