U.S. backs down on aluminum tariffs directed at Canada

[Carjosse]

From Globe and Mail.

The U.S. government has announced that it is removing controversial tariffs on Canadian aluminum announced in August.

The news came Tuesday afternoon – just two hours before Canada was set to unveil $3.6-billion in retaliatory measures on U.S. imports.

But the Office of the United States Trade Representative also set conditions for reimposing the tariffs, saying this would happen if shipments from Canada were to exceed certain monthly volumes, which it laid out in a news release.

Looks like Trump tried to play chicken with Canada and he lost.

 

[Ikari]

He's not really good with the Tariff Chicken game in general.

 

[Thom Paine]

From Globe and Mail.


Looks like Trump tried to play chicken with Canada and he lost.

? or maybe a mutually beneficial agreement was made .. it's all a part of negotiation.

 

[Mycroft]

From the OP's article...

He said he thinks the U.S. government has achieved what it wanted. It has established a monitoring mechanism for aluminum imports from Canada.

“I think this was the objective all along, candidly,” he said.

 

[Logophile]

From the OP's article...

Exactly. I read the article. I didn't get a sense that anybody "backed down." I'm not sure people understand how diplomacy often works. You ask for the stars and settle for the moon. That's politics in general. Thanks!!

 

[Metric Mouse]

Exactly. I read the article. I didn't get a sense that anybody "backed down." I'm not sure people understand how diplomacy often works. You ask for the stars and settle for the moon. That's politics in general. Thanks!!

I don't know if that's all diplomacy, or even good diplomacy in all circumstances, but it very much is the diplomacy of the Donald Trump administration.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

From Globe and Mail.


Looks like Trump tried to play chicken with Canada and he lost.

Remember which country invented the "Chicken Cannon"!

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

From the OP's article...

Strangely enough, anyone "importing" anything (in this particular case Aluminum) into the US has to tell the US Customs people not only that they are bringing it into the US but how much they are bringing into the US (this is known as making a "declaration" and contains "information").

Those US Customs people then enter that "information" into what are known as "computers".

Those "computers" then "store" that "information".

The "information" that is "stored" on those "computers" is available by using what is known as "software" to produce what are known as "reports".

If anyone wants to "monitor" how much of something is being imported into the US, then all they have to do is to "read" those "reports".
​

Obviously Mr. Trump is unfamiliar with the meaning of one or more of the above terms that has been set off in "stops".

In short,

"All we wanted to do was monitor the import of Aluminum and we weren't able to do that without threatening Canada."​

is a VERY large crock of well aged bovine excrement.

You might also want to read "US tariffs on China are illegal, says world trade body" (from Associated Press) to see how successful Mr. Trump's policies are at being upheld.

 

[Logophile]

I don't know if that's all diplomacy, or even good diplomacy in all circumstances, but it very much is the diplomacy of the Donald Trump administration.

In a nutshell, diplomacy is an exercise in getting the best deal or situation for a participating party. And that's true in business, too. If I want to buy a house, it's unlikely that I'm going to offer top dollar. I will depend on negotiations to bring me where I need to be, and where the seller is willing to sell. It's no different in diplomacy.

I suspect that the aluminum industry is unique, and the Trump administration is wise to keep US aluminum and steel healthy. There are a number of reasons, the most obvious being military. When aluminum recycling became the norm, that recycled aluminum had deficiencies. I can actually see it in modern aluminum products around me versus the pre-recycled products. There's often a little pitting because it's very hard to rid recycled metals of all impurities, albeit it's better than it was initially. By keeping our aluminum and steel industries healthy and inured to a degree from the competitive fray, the US is enabling the industry to manufacture a top notch product, and that product is extremely important in vehicles, military equipment of all kinds, certainly aircraft and a number of technological devices. Thanks!!

 

[CaughtInThe]

our United States President can't get a loan from a bank in the United States. how could any moron not know what he's all about???


it's all yelling and bluster and crimes and con games.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

In a nutshell, diplomacy is an exercise in getting the best deal or situation for a participating party. And that's true in business, too. If I want to buy a house, it's unlikely that I'm going to offer top dollar. I will depend on negotiations to bring me where I need to be, and where the seller is willing to sell. It's no different in diplomacy.

I suspect that the aluminum industry is unique, and the Trump administration is wise to keep US aluminum and steel healthy. There are a number of reasons, the most obvious being military. When aluminum recycling became the norm, that recycled aluminum had deficiencies. I can actually see it in modern aluminum products around me versus the pre-recycled products. There's often a little pitting because it's very hard to rid recycled metals of all impurities, albeit it's better than it was initially. By keeping our aluminum and steel industries healthy and inured to a degree from the competitive fray, the US is enabling the industry to manufacture a top notch product, and that product is extremely important in vehicles, military equipment of all kinds, certainly aircraft and a number of technological devices. Thanks!!

The only quibble I have with you post is that you left out fourteen words. What are those fourteen words? Well, see the underlined bit below:

I suspect that the aluminum industry is unique, and the Trump administration is wise to keep US aluminum and steel healthy. There are a number of reasons, the most obvious being military. When aluminum recycling became the norm, that recycled aluminum had deficiencies. I can actually see it in modern aluminum products around me versus the pre-recycled products. There's often a little pitting because it's very hard to rid recycled metals of all impurities, albeit it's better than it was initially. By keeping our aluminum and steel industries healthy and inured to a degree from the competitive fray, the US is enabling the industry to manufacture a top notch product _(at a higher price for the same "top notch product" than other suppliers charge), and that product is extremely important in vehicles, military equipment of all kinds, certainly aircraft and a number of technological devices.
​

 

[PeteEU]

? or maybe a mutually beneficial agreement was made .. it's all a part of negotiation.

And Trump is not calling an emergency press conference to boast about it?

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

And Trump is not calling an emergency press conference to boast about it?

I suspect that the negotiations were something along the lines of

CANADA - "Hey, you know those countries that the US is selling Aluminum to? Well they are quite prepared to purchase the Canadian Aluminum that Canada can't sell to the US.

US - "So what?"

CANADA - "Well, unless you drop the new tariff, Canada is going to be selling its Aluminum to the countries that are currently buying American Aluminum to and that will have an adverse effect on the profits of those American firms."

US - "Oh? So what are you going to do for us if we take the tariffs off?"

CANADA - "Bugger all."

US - "OK, so we'll take the tariffs off, but you have to NOT say that you whuppedourbutt."

CANADA - "Well, all right."
​