The president could announce tariffs as soon as today, which would be his most consequential move yet on trade, and one that threatens to spark retaliation from allies around the globe
WASHINGTON — President Trump could announce as soon as Thursday that the United States will impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, people familiar with the matter said. The move would fulfill a key campaign promise to protect American industry but could also threaten to trigger trade wars around the globe.
The exact details of the tariffs, including whether they would be broadly aimed at all imports or more narrowly tailored toward specific countries, remained unclear. Executives from steel and aluminum companies were invited to the White House Thursday morning for a ceremony that was scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
The move has been the subject of fierce lobbying by foreign governments, multinational companies and the Pentagon in recent weeks, all of whom have argued that the proposed tariffs could disrupt economic and security ties. It is likely to add tensions to ongoing negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement in Mexico City this week, as well as a planned White House meeting with a top Chinese trade official Thursday.
The announcement of tariffs would be the clearest sign yet of the ascendance of a group of White House advisers who advocate a tougher posture on trade, including Robert Lighthizer, the country’s top trade negotiator, and Peter Navarro, a trade skeptic who had been sidelined but is now in line for a promotion.
Gary D. Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, had been lobbying for months alongside others, including staff secretary Rob Porter, who recently resigned under pressure from the White House, to kill, postpone, or at least narrow the scope of the measure, people familiar with the discussions said.
