It's anyone's guess when — or if — Trump will sign his tariffs decree


The White House received a letter on Wednesday signed by 107 House Republicans, imploring President Trump to "reconsider the idea of broad tariffs to avoid unintended negative consequences to the U.S. economy and its workers," and after hinting that he would sign the tariffs decree on Thursday, that's now up in the air.
Trump announced last week that he would implement a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and 10 percent tariff on aluminum. On Wednesday, White House aides began prepping for a Thursday ceremony to celebrate the signing, The Wall Street Journal reports, but after spending the day hearing from Republicans upset with his plan, Trump is undecided on how to move forward, an administration official told MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle. The official said Trump planned on signing the decree at 3 p.m., but that's now off; it's also not listed on the White House schedule for Thursday.
During her briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said exemptions to the tariffs would be made on a "case by case" and "country by country" basis. Appearing on Fox Business Wednesday afternoon, Trump's trade and manufacturing adviser, Peter Navarro, said once the decree is signed, tariffs would go into effect within 30 days, but there would be a clause ensuring tariffs are not immediately imposed on Mexico and Canada, the top exporters of steel and aluminum to the United States.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The state of Britain's Armed Forces
The Explainer Geopolitical unrest and the unreliability of the Trump administration have led to a frantic re-evaluation of the UK's military capabilities
By The Week UK
-
Anti-anxiety drug has a not-too-surprising effect on fish
Under the radar The fish act bolder and riskier
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
Sudoku medium: April 21, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US