Seeking new trade deals, Trump reconsiders tariffs on metal, auto industries

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

published 18 May 2019

The self-proclaimed "Tariff Man" is slowing down a bit.

President Trump scaled back on the global trade war on Friday, lifting tariffs on metal imports from Canada and Mexico and delaying for six months a decision to impose tariffs on automobiles from Europe, Japan, and other countries. Canada and Mexico reportedly agreed to remove all retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, in turn.

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As for the auto tariffs, Trump will once again decide whether to implement them in November as he seeks new agreements with the European Union and Japan. The decisions will also allow Trump and his administration to focus more heavily on reaching a trade agreement with China, though Trump has not backed down from imposing tariffs on Chinese goods, despite the fallout they have caused for many American farmers, The New York Times reports.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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