Washington: Agencies
US President Joe Biden announced the extension of the decision to suspend customs duties imposed by his predecessor, Donald Trump, on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union for two years, while negotiations continue.
Biden said, in a statement published by the White House on its website, today, Friday, that he decided to extend the suspension period that he announced two years ago until December 31, 2025, while the two parties are still far from resolving the conflict that has been going on for years.
He added: “I decided that certain quantities of imports of qualified steel materials from the European Union will no longer threaten to weaken national security.” According to what was reported by the Middle East News Agency.
In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump imposed high tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from many countries, in a move largely aimed at protecting American producers from cheaper Chinese imports, but the widespread restrictions also affected imports from the European Union, which... It prompted the European bloc to impose retaliatory tariffs on American goods.
After Biden took office in 2021, the US President kept the customs duties in effect but suspended their imposition on imports from the European Union, and the exemption was scheduled to end at the end of 2023.
The extension, which was widely expected, comes just over two weeks after the European Union confirmed it would suspend its retaliatory tariffs due to its "intensive engagement" with the United States.