U.S. exempts some steel products from Japan, 4 other countries from tariffs

Excellent news. Summits between PM Abe and Trump worked.

But not Canada, it must be punished for standing up to the orange gremlin

In totally unrelated news, we'll be adding tariffs to orange lacquers, orange tanning sprays, tanning beds, and hair extensions

PM Abe really knows how to play the game. Unlike Merkel and Trudeau, and Marcron all who were confrontational, Shinzo Abe played it cool and diplomatically and got the tariffs lifted. More importantly,unlike Germany, France and Canada whose relationship with the US is now strained, Shinzo Abe was able to keep the relationship between the US and Japan on even keel.

US steel?

The only country in the group that poses a threat to the national security of the United States is China. With 80% of companies wholly or partially state owned (SOE) and an unelected one party dictatorship in control, China freely mixes trade and economics with geopoltical and strategic goals. Unlike our other trade partners, China's trade objective is not just to benefit their own country economically like everyone else but to simultaneously weaken the United States. Besides, why are we exempting China when we are in a trade war with them? With Peter Navarro around Trump certainly knows this but his personal interests are likely keeping him from doing what's right for the U.S. His position towards ZTE was very revealing.

^ Money talks.

OssanAmerica, “The only country in the group that poses a threat to the national security of the United States is China.” How so? Tell me in the last few decades which country is in the wars more, the US or China? Which country trades and are friendly with other countries more? Don’t we all know that large corporations in the US are controlling the economy? Haven’t you heard Trump is a dictator and his actions sure fit the bell. And don’t be naïve, every country including the US and Japan, “freely mixes trade and economics with geopoltical and strategic goals.” Now I just wonder, how did China’s trade “simultaneously weaken the United States?” The US has been so suspicious of China how could China weaken the US by using trades? By the way Trump is using ZTE as a bargaining chip, isn’t that more in line with what China is doing? Do you want to know “why are we exempting China when we are in a trade war with them?” Because Trump is trying to protect those US companies, so is this fair when some companies got to be exempt and others not? China is more in the win-win game, but the US is in the zero-sum game. Think of when Trump wants to apply 25% on Chinese products and warns China not retaliate, that’s the winner takes all.

OssanAmerica, don't fool yourself, please. How come that China is a security threat to US, with $500 billions trade ? The biggest threat to US is no trade with China. What Trump is doing is for more trade with China, not less. That is why Abe is so stupid to imply that trade with China is a threat, while with Japan isn't. When Trump puts tariff on Japan made cars you won't get sympathy from China because you deserve none.

These exemptions being offered might seem like a good thing, and in the short term they are, but in the long term I have a feeling they are being offered as a way for the US to divide other nations that would be much stronger standing together against them on issues of trade. They're only being offered so America can ultimately gain the upper hand.

Mostly it is US companies screeming at Trump to do away with the teriffs because the Japanese steel is mostly specialty steel that only Japan makes. They can't get it anywhere else. The same goes for Japan's high end circuitry and materials. Only Japan has the capital and know-how to make them. You can't get them cheeply from China.