The Secret of the Open. President of the United States Donald Trump signed on the night of Friday (Moscow time) a document according to which the introduction of import duties on steel and aluminum is postponed until May 1 for all but Russia and China. Thus, it became clear to all that the true aims of Washington's attack are just Moscow and Beijing. Recall that Trump, as usual, began to scale. On imposing protective duties of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum in early March, he announced loudly and all, shocking even allies. Canada and the European Union, especially offended by such actions of the United States, began to threaten with retaliatory measures, ruptures of agreements and t. Very quickly, the White House reported that taxes are exempted from neighbors - Mexico and Canada. The latter, by the way, is the largest supplier of steel in the US - for the first nine months of last year, Americans bought 16% of all imported steel from abroad and more than half of the aluminum volume from Canadians, Kommersant reports.. Now it became known that the introduction of duties is "paused" for the EU, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and South Korea. With them, Washington is ready to conduct bilateral negotiations on the development of alternative measures to reduce the "threat of deterioration of US national security". As noted in the administration, they do not exclude that for some of this list import duties may be curtailed or completely nullified. In the European Union, they immediately announced that they were counting on the latter option. And Moscow and Beijing have no choice but to complain to the WTO. On Friday, March 23, the first meeting of the WTO Commodity Trade Council will take place this year, at which the question of US duties should be considered.

But if earlier the proceedings had rainbow prospects for the Russian Federation and the PRC, now that they are left alone, the situation looks much grimmer. In any case, the case will drag on for years and will cost millions. But Russia does not have other measures of influence - unlike China, Russia and the US trade and economic relations are at a minimum level. But Beijing prepares the answer. A preliminary list of 128 US goods, in respect of which Beijing may impose duties, is drawn up and promulgated. If he is given a move, then the US losses will be calculated in billions.