Focus Shifts to US Steel, Aluminum Import Duties

With the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) now set, officials made clear in remarks in unveiling the pact that the U.S. steel and aluminum import duties applied to Canada and Mexico were not removed with the trade agreement.Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross described those as “separate issues,” and Mexico and Canada say they expect those tariffs to be worked out on a separate track.President Donald Trump said the U.S. was talking with Mexico and Canada about potentially replacing them with quotas.Also unresolved is whether Canada and Mexico will continue retaliatory tariffs on American products, including agricultural goods.U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer indicated those talks were coming soon and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland also indicated that will be a focal point moving ahead. So far, no talks are scheduled as of yet, but the matter is being closely followed by several industries, including agriculture.