On April 30, 2018, the President signed Presidential Proclamation Adjusting Imports of Aluminum into the United States.  The Proclamation states that the United States has agreed in principle with Argentina, Australia, and Brazil on satisfactory alternative means to address the threatened impairment to our national security posed by aluminum articles imported from these countries, so they will remain exempt from the tariff in Proc. 9704 until details are finalized. The United States is continuing discussions with Canada, Mexico, and the EU, and those exemptions will now be set to expire on May 31 .

Also yesterday, the President signed Presidential Proclamation Adjusting Imports of Steel into the United States.  The Proclamation states that the United States has successfully concluded discussions with South Korea on satisfactory alternative means to address the threatened impairment to national security posed by steel articles imports from South Korea.  The United States and South Korea have agreed on a range of measures, including measures to reduce excess steel production and excess steel capacity, and measures that will contribute to increased capacity utilization in the United States, including a quota that restricts the quantity of steel articles imported into the United States from South Korea.  In the President’s judgment, these measures will provide an effective, long-term alternative means to address South Korea’s contribution to the threatened impairment to our national security by restraining steel articles exports to the United States from South Korea, limiting transshipment, and discouraging excess capacity and excess steel production.  In light of this agreement, the President has determined that steel articles imports from South Korea will no longer threaten to impair the national security and has decided to exclude South Korea from the tariff proclaimed in Proclamation 9705.

The United States has agreed in principle with Argentina, Australia, and Brazil on satisfactory alternative means to address the threatened impairment to our national security posed by steel articles imported from these countries.  The President has determined that the necessary and appropriate means to address the threat to national security posed by imports of steel articles from Argentina, Australia, and Brazil is to extend the temporary exemption of these countries from the tariff proclaimed in Proclamation 9705, in order to finalize the details of these satisfactory alternative means to address the threatened impairment to national security posed by steel articles imported from these countries, therefore no expiration date has been set.

The United States is continuing discussions with Canada, Mexico, and the EU.  The President has determined that the necessary and appropriate means to address the threat to the national security posed by imports of steel articles from these countries is to continue these discussions and to extend the temporary exemption of these countries from the tariff proclaimed in Proclamation 9705, at least at this time. Therefore exemptions for these countries will continue until May 31, 2018.

Conforming changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the US were also made. Clause 5 of Proclamations 9710 [and 9711] was amended by inserting the phrase “, except those eligible for admission under “domestic status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, which is subject to the duty imposed pursuant to Proclamation 9704 [or 9705], as amended by Proclamation 9710 [or 9711],” after the words “Any aluminum [or steel] article” in the first and second sentences.