As the Trump administration and business community push to get the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) across the finish line, the United States should make good on its promise to exempt Canada and Mexico from steel and aluminum tariffs. These are our closest neighbors, longtime allies, and an integral part of U.S. manufacturers’ supply chains.
When NAFTA renegotiations began, the United States made a promise that once the deal was done, the tariffs would be lifted. The resulting USMCA deal was signed by all three leaders on November 30, and is now pending approval in each country’s respective legislatures. But recent talks about a quota arrangement and indications that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is “trying to find some resolution” are worrying hints that the Trump administration may go back on its word.