More than 3,800 applications requesting waivers from Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs have been submitted to the Commerce Department, the letter said, but “fewer than 100” have been posted online, the next step in the application process. It’s a critical step because if a company does get a waiver from Trump’s tariffs, it will be retroactive to the date the application is posted online. In 2002, President George W. Bush imposed steel tariffs that economists say cost more jobs than they saved. Ross and his team have a lot of leeway to decide which companies get relief from the tariffs. The senators and many trade associations representing manufacturers that use steel and aluminum say the application process is onerous.

Source: Washington Post April 20, 2018 20:06 UTC