No Plans for Tariff Deferrals, White House Adviser Says

The Trump administration won't be going forward with a broad customs duty deferral, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said in an April 3 interview on Bloomberg TV (see 2004030033). After considering a limit on such deferrals to most favored nation (MFN) duties, Kudlow said, the administration determined that such an action was “too complicated” and “might send the wrong signals.”

Lobbying on the issue increased in recent days (see 2004020052) following reports that a deferral seemed likely (see 2003300035). “It is a victory for the domestic industries that lobbied hard to convince the administration that such a deferral would cause more harm than good,” Sidley Austin lawyer Ted Murphy said in a blog post. CBP didn't comment.