US suspended aluminum and steel tariffs for Brazil and other allies

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer this Thursday at the Senate Finance Committee (Kevin Lamarque - Reuters)

Some of the United States’ closest trading partners will receive a temporary reprieve from tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, the top US trade official said Thursday, a day before the measures were set to begin. The curbs were expected to be imposed on Friday (23rd March), two weeks after Trump’s signature.

The decision was sure to relieve anxious U.S. partners, even as it raised questions about whether the tariffs would be able to protect US metal industries. Brazil, Argentina, the European Union, South Korea and Australia are on the list US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced at a Senate hearing. Canada and Mexico already had been exempted.

World leaders had subjected Washington to a furious lobbying effort to remove the tariff, announced by President Trump earlier this month, warning of a trade war and saying that they did not see why long-standing military allies should face the import taxes on national security grounds, the professed basis for Trump’s action.

“The idea that the president has, is that based on a certain set of criteria, that some countries should get out,” Lighthizer told the Senate hearing. “What he has decided to do is to pause the imposition of the tariffs with respect to those countries.”

Lighthizer said Wednesday that he expected that negotiations about permanent exemptions to the tariffs would be resolved by the end of April, creating pressure on the countries to reach a deal with Washington on measures that would satisfy Trump’s desire to improve their trade relationships with the United States.

Following the exemptions, the countries that will be hit hardest when the steel tariffs take effect Friday will be Russia, Taiwan and Turkey.

Temer: US will start “negotiations” with Brazil

In an announcement made Wednesday (21st March), Brazilian President Michel Temer said the US would start negotiations with Brazil over the new import tariffs on steel and aluminum. While talking about the measure, unveiled in a note by the US government just at that moment, Temer said the new tariff will not be introduced before negotiations are brought to an end.

“I’m looking at a declaration by the White House saying that Brazil is one of the countries with which negotiations are to begin with a view to waiving import tariffs on steel and aluminum. The new tariffs, the message from the White House says, will not apply until conversations are held on the topic. Good news,” the Brazilian President said, during a meeting with the Economic and Social Development Council (CDES).

On Tuesday, Temer talked to a representative from Brazil’s steel-producing industry. In the conversation, the President availed himself of arguments to convince US President Donald Trump to exempt Brazil from the new tariff.

Sources: Agência Brasil, Reuters, The Washington Post

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Brazil plans to negotiate US steel tariffs

Brazilian Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles said that the country is to consider talks with the US on the 25% tariffs on imported steel, a measure signed Thursday (Mar. 8) by President Donald Trump.

“The Government signed that; it should be in effect in 15 days, but they’re saying they’re open to negotiation. We just have to know what sort of negotiation this is; what they’re willing to negotiate. The issue will be considered bearing in mind what Brazil has to win or lose,” Meirelles said in New York, where he is taking part in an event aimed at drawing foreign investment to Brazil.

In his view, the decision made by the US Government is detrimental to all parties involved. “It benefits steel production and protects the employment of a group of workers in steel-producing companies. But it’s harmful, it takes the jobs of industrial companies using steel or aluminum; companies that lower their international competitiveness for having more expensive supplies.”

The Brazilian Government released a note last Thursday (8) stating that the decision by the US Government should cause “significant losses” in Brazil, and make an impact on “trade and investment ties between the two nations.”

Altogether, 32% of the steel exported by Brazil is bound for the US, which makes Brazil second only to Canada in steel exports to the US. In 2017 alone, 4.7 million tons of Brazilian steel were shipped to the US, which totaled $2.6 billion in revenues.

Trump's tariffs could ricochet on US coal country

Metallurgical coal — or “met coal” — is low-ash, low-sulfur coal that’s used to produce coke, an essential fuel for steel-making.

 Demand for met coal is tied to the demand for steel. It’s also an American export and a symbol President Donald Trump used often on the campaign trail.

Last week, Brazil reminded US officials that it’s the biggest buyer of American met coal – about $1 billion worth last year – in a statement expressing concerns over the tariffs.

Latin America’s largest economy imported nearly 5.2 million tons of US met coal through September of last year – about 1.3 million more than the next highest consumer, Japan, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The Brazilian statement also pointed out that US and Brazilian steel industries are not competitors, but are integrated and complement each other. “Approximately 80% of Brazilian steel exports are semi-finished products that are used as inputs in the US steel industry. Moreover, Brazil is the largest buyer of metallurgical coal from the United States, chiefly for the manufacture of Brazilian steel for export to the United States” said the note.

Brazil also said it would not rule out retaliating against proposed tariffs. Similarly, a European Union trade leader has threatened to impose tariffs on US made products like steel, cars, orange juice and Kentucky bourbon.

Sources: Agência Brasil, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.

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Câmara aprova regras para aplicativos de transporte; licença e placa vermelha não serão necessárias; entenda os principais pontos

O Plenário da Câmara dos Deputados aprovou nesta quarta-feira (28) duas de três emendas do Senado ao projeto de lei que regulamenta os serviços de transporte por aplicativos. As emendas retiram exigências como placa vermelha, motorista proprietário do veículo e obrigatoriedade de autorização específica do poder municipal para cada motorista.

O texto que irá à sanção presidencial é um substitutivo do deputado Daniel Coelho (PSDB-PE) ao Projeto de Lei 5587/16, de autoria do deputado Carlos Zarattini (PT-SP) e outros.

A única emenda rejeitada pretendia retirar dos municípios a atribuição de regulamentar a atividade e também a exclusividade de fiscalização. Dessa forma, continua no texto a exclusividade dos municípios para regulamentar e fiscalizar esse tipo de serviço. Foram 283 votos contra a emenda e 29 a favor.

Placa vermelha

Os deputados aprovaram emenda que retira do texto a obrigatoriedade de o motorista vinculado ao aplicativo ser o proprietário, fiduciante ou arrendatário do veículo, assim como de este possuir placa vermelha.

Autorização das prefeituras

Emenda do Senado previa a necessidade de autorização emitida pelo poder público municipal para o motorista de aplicativos nas cidades em que existe regulamentação. No entanto, os deputados concordaram que o motorista dos aplicativos não precisará solicitar autorização específica das prefeituras para trabalhar.

Regulamentação e fiscalização 

A Câmara definiu que as prefeituras terão o  poder de regulamentação e fiscalização do serviço de transporte individual de passageiros — os senadores haviam estabelecido que cabia às administrações municipais apenas a competência de fiscalização. Foram 283 votos pela rejeição da emenda, 29 a favor e quatro abstenções.

— Ninguém é contra que o município crie sua regra. O que não podemos é ter regra federal única — disse o relator do projeto no plenário, deputado Daniel Coelho (PSDB-PE).

Idade máxima do veículo e seguro

Pelo projeto aprovado, o veículo utilizado no serviço terá de atender os requisitos de idade máxima e as características exigidas pela autoridade de trânsito e pelo poder municipal. Será exigida contratação de seguro de acidentes pessoais para os passageiros.

Antecedentes criminais

O motorista terá de apresentar certidão negativa de antecedentes criminais. Também deverá ter carteira de habilitação na categoria B ou superior dizendo que exerce atividade remunerada.

*Com informações de Estadão Conteúdo e 'Agência Câmara Notícias' .

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