US Exporters Applaud Lifting of Steel, Aluminum Tariffs

U.S. exporters applauded the Trump administration's plans to roll back steel and aluminum tariffs and the decision by both Canada and Mexico to lift retaliatory tariffs.

The National Milk Producers Federation, the U.S. Dairy Export Council and and the National Pork Producers Council said they also expect the announcement to pave the way for passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. “If Mexico lifts its tariffs on U.S. dairy in response, it would be a welcome return to normalcy with our number one export market,” said Tom Vilsack, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, in a statement.

The NMPF said Mexico is the U.S.’s “biggest dairy customer,” accounting for $1.4 billion in sales in 2017. Jim Mulhern, president and CEO, said the retaliatory tariffs have “harmed dairy” and urged Congress to “quickly” ratify USMCA.

The NPPC said the retaliatory tariffs “placed enormous financial strain” on U.S. pork exporters. “Removing the metal tariffs restores zero-tariff trade to U.S. pork’s largest export market and allows NPPC to focus more resources on working toward ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement,” President David Herring said in a statement.

The Dairy Export Council, the NMPF and the NPPC each said they hope the Trump administration's announcement signals future progress in other trade deals. Vilsack and Mulhern “stressed the importance” of agreeing to a trade deal with China, whose retaliatory tariffs caused U.S. dairy exports to China to fall by more than 40 percent through the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of 2018. The NPPC urged the administration to complete a deal with Japan. “We are also hopeful that the end of this dispute allows more focus on the quick completion of a trade deal with Japan,” Herring said. “U.S. pork is losing market in its largest value market to international competitors that have recently implemented new trade agreements with Japan.”