China, Japan, S Korea bristle over U.S. steel, aluminum tariffs

I always love how those who abuse the "free trade" system complain when they get told that they are no longer going to be allowed to be an abuser.

I am no Trump fan, but the mercantilist, export-oriented countries always play the victim, when, in fact, they are are the aggressor.

Hmm. Steel bristle?

I wonder how Japan will retaliate against the USA?

Trump doesn't even understand what tariffs are. He believes they are levies paid by foreign government's to the United States rather than an import cost passed onto consumers.

I am no longer surprised by anything Trump does, the man is a know nothing buffoon but Robert Lightizer does know better and he still lies and misrepresents. Trump can take his "reprieve" and shove it up his **. I hope when the hammer falls it falls hard on red states with no mercy.

so basically only 6.6 million tonnes of 35million, 18.8% will have tariffs attached , as EU and Canada are likely to be exempted. how is that in any way going to damage US security!? Just shows that its a political stunt to shore up votes from his base than actually having any real economic benefits and this is best case scenario, worse case is he tariffs everybody and starts a trade war. pres orange is a moron.

As I have stated many times, I strongly admire Pres. Trump and VP Michael Pence, but I disagree with them on this. Why Canada and Mexico get exeptions but not Japan? Now there is even talk of exempting Australia too.Very unfair to Japan, "Closest USA ally in Asia" said Trump. It is very regrettab;e if Japan is not granted an exemption within 15 days.

I wonder how Japan will retaliate against the USA?

Slap massive tarriffs onto US beef and soybeans, American Cherries, and vehicles like Harley Davinson, Chevrolet, Tesla etc.

China, which produces half the world's steel, will assess any damage caused by the U.S. move and "firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests,"

this is the problem, other nations thinking they have "rights" to the US market. They do not. The US wants equal trade there is nothing criminal or unfair about it. We are not the world's welfare we are a sovereign nation and make our own decisions.

Slap massive tarriffs onto US beef and soybeans, American Cherries, and vehicles like Harley Davinson, Chevrolet, Tesla etc.

Japan's trade practices toward US imports is already close to criminally unfair, can't get much worse, hence Japan can not do a damn thing about it.

this is the problem, other nations thinking they have "rights" to the US market. They do not. The US wants equal trade there is nothing criminal or unfair about it. yes the US can cut access to its markets whenever it wants, and so can the EU , China and the rest of the world. trade is a two way street not one way.

this is the problem, other nations thinking they have "rights" to the US market. They do not.

Whether they do or not would depend on their trade agreements.

...and whether they'd like to remain part of the WTO.

I was drinking with some Japanese steel executives the other night, and they weren't worried in the slightest by this. The US is a tiny part of their customer base, even from their Chinese factories.

Every sliver of steel entering the US was purchased by an American company that made a consious decision to buy the imported steel instead of buying from an American steel company.

Americans pray and pay homage to the holy dollar.

So, Japan and South Korea would like to have an exemption. All they need to do is dismantle their many cleverly disguised hidden trade barriers that restrict American products into their countries. Then we will have fair trade to offset that large surplus in their favor.

"China, Japan, S Korea bristle 0over U.S. steel, aluminum tariffs"

Cry me a river.

This is how Washington treats is so-called ally Japan. Yet Abe continues to grovel to Washington.

I am no Trump fan, but the mercantilist, export-oriented countries always play the victim, when, in fact, they are are the aggressor.

Don't you know Japan is not export-oriented country any more for a long time?  Japan is suffering from  trade deficit for a long time. Japan's GDP comes from domestic businesses like USA.

I wish I could have seen Abe's face at the news Japan was not exempt. I have already heard -- and seen on this site -- Japanese saying, "Why wasn't Japan automatically exempt? (I can understand why not other Asian nations!)". I bet his lip quivered and he felt personally hurt. It at least likely explains his sniveling on the thread about NK and his eagerness to kiss Trump's butt more.

tinawatanabe: "Japan's GDP comes from domestic businesses like USA."

Hogwash. If that were the case they wouldn't have pushed for the TPP so hard, and wouldn't intentionally devaluate the yen constantly. Both of which they did and do. Japan cannot rely on domestic industry and business (which they, of course, outsource) with it's necessity to import most raw materials and decreasing consumption (and aging population). The only place where you are slightly correct is that a lot of money IS being spent nowadays domestically, but it's thanks to foreign tourists like the people you berate from China. They dropped a few trillion in 2016 and while it's dropped since, it's still something we are entirely dependent on and should be thankful for.

Ganbare Japan: "Why Canada and Mexico get exeptions but not Japan? "

Because it's a two-way street, and Japan is incredibly unfair on trade barriers and tariffs to protect domestic markets. You don't have a "right" to be exempt; you have to earn it. Despite the butt-kissing by leaders here, Japan has not earned it.

YuriOtani: "I wonder how Japan will retaliate against the USA?"

It won't. Abe is already bowing more deeply and sucking up to Trump harder than before.

Japan doesn't need to be exempt from anything. Your comments are funny and bias at the same time.

You don't have to join the TTP either, it will go on without you.

Japan has also invested a lot of money in the US and hired, employees close to a million Americans with factories all over the US, instead of a 3rd world country with cheaper labor. Your bias views and hate is showing more than anything else written in this article.

Funny, everybody talks about these hidden trade barriers. I guess that's why the same people can't give any concrete examples. Because they are hidden and all...

This would actually be a blessing in disguise, especially for the people of Japan, China and S. Korea. Because the US has had a trade deficit for more than 45 years straight, trading partners have had to accept US treasury bonds for goods. Since China already has over $1 trillion, along with Japan, they have the perfect reason for not buying anymore US treasury bonds, althugh they had the perfect reason a long time ago: we prodece thingds, send them to the US and get wothless pieces of paper that say IOU. These countries can now use those resources to upgrade their own standrds of living, instead of importing inflation from the United States . The real loser is the American consumer who will be paying alot more for what he used to get for cheap and at the same quality. When China Japan, Korea, and the rest of the world, realize that The US is the largest debtor nation in the history of the world, and they’re not getting paid back the full amount of their bonds, either through default or devaluation of the dollar via infltion,ie QE 1-3. and possibly QE4 when the next recession hit, which is already long overdue, they are going to start selling treasury bonds like a hot potato at the same time the Federal Resreve back is also supposed to be unwind8ng its $4.5 trillion balance sheet of US bonds and mortgaged backed securities into the open market.

If everyone is selling US bonds, who’s going to be buying as the 35+ year bond market bubble pops? . And since global interest rates worldwide are the lowest in over 5,000 years, when they begin to rise sharply, over one quadrillion in derivitives will collapse making the 2008 crises look like a pimple on a big fat white gluteus maximus. The entire credit mrket will freeze because every asset had counterparty risk which defaulted and created another chain reaction. The only asset which is not simultaneously somebodyelse’s liability is holding physical gold. Has been for over 5,000 years, and still is now.