Washington • The Trump administration sent mixed signals about its new aluminum and steel tariffs on Sunday, saying that any exceptions for allies are unlikely but also leaving room for an unpredictable president to change his mind.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro appeared to draw a firm line against case-by-case exemptions as he defended President Donald Trump's sudden imposition of new trade premiums, which are likely to hit Canada and Europe hardest.
"That's not his decision," Navarro said when asked about the possibility of exemptions. "As soon as he starts exempting countries, he has to raise the tariff on everybody else," the adviser said when asked about Canada and the European Union.