Perry ‘not sure’ Trump has made up mind on tariffs

Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Wednesday he’s unsure if President Trump has finalized his decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

“I’m not sure he has made up his mind,” Perry said on the sidelines of the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, according to Reuters.

Perry acknowledged that Trump wants to help American manufacturers by implementing tariffs, but said it was key for the administration to form a plan to “strategically” implement tariffs and regulations, Reuters reported.

{mosads}

Trump’s proposal, announced last week, would impose a 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent tariff on aluminum. The proposal was met with wide resistance from GOP lawmakers and sparked threats of retaliation from Canada and European trading partners.

A spokeswoman for Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Monday that Ryan had shared his concerns personally with the president “on multiple occasions.”

“We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance with this plan,” the spokeswoman said.

Ryan on Tuesday urged Trump to take a more “surgical” and “targeted” approach to his plan to impose tariffs and go specifically after Chinese trading abuses.

Gary Cohn, the president’s top economic adviser, announced Tuesday that he would resign. Cohn had aggressively lobbied Trump against rolling out the tariff plan.

“It has been an honor to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people, in particular the passage of historic tax reform,” Cohn said in a statement announcing his departure.

“I am grateful to the president for giving me this opportunity and wish him and the administration great success in the future,” he said. 

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that Mexico, Canada and other nations may be exempted from the tariffs, which are being considered based on national security concerns.

Trump is reportedly likely to sign the presidential proclamation on tariffs as early as Thursday.