The President Donald Trump will sign a decree on Thursday reciprocal tariffs, In a new turn in the escalation of the commercial war, as announced in a message posted on its social network Truth Social.
“There have been three incredible weeks, perhaps the best we have had, but today is the big day: Reciprocal tariffs !!!”, wrote Trump, accompanied by his famous campaign motto “Make America Great Again !!! (Let’s make the United States big again!) “
The Republican President plans to apply to the imported products to the United States the same tariffs that these countries impose on US products in their markets.
The signing of the decree was expected and will represent a significant advance in the president’s strategy To use tariffs as a tool for reduce the growing commercial deficit of the United States and press other countries to make concessions in their relations with Washington.
On Monday, Trump announced that It will raise to 25% the tariffs to steel, aluminum and its derivatives that enter the United Statesregardless of their country of origin. This measure also affects nations that were previously exempt, such as Canada and Mexico, its partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (T-MEC).
Tariffs: Donald Trump said there will be no exception for Argentina and explained its reasons
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, said that Argentina will not be exempt from the increase in steel and aluminum tariffs. He announced it while signing executive orders that establish a 25% increase for these products. Asked specifically on the Argentine case, he argued that the commercial balance between the two countries was slightly deficient last year. The measure will affect Argentine exports for about US $ 600 million.
This decision is a setback for the strategy of President Javier Milei, who will travel next week to the US to participate in the Conservative Action Political Conference (CPAC). Although economists and diplomats warn about the lack of complementarity between both economies, Milei insists on the possibility of negotiating a free trade agreement with Washington.
Argentina starts this process from an unfavorable position. This Monday, by signing the executive orders for the 25% tariffs to steel and aluminum, Trump said that he will review a possible exemption for Australia, a country with which the US maintains a solid commercial surplus. In contrast, he said: “With Argentina we have a small deficit, as with almost all countries, not with Australia that buys many airplanes.”
According to INDEC data, in 2024 the bilateral trade balance was overcoming for Argentina at US $28 million, an exceptional situation due to the strong recession and the 27.9% drop in imports from the United States. In the last decade the commercial balance was clearly negative for Argentina.
Source: Ambito
