US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that the US is nearing a deal with Canada and Mexico to lift the Section 232 tariffs within the scope of the new trade deal between the three countries, according to media reports.
Meanwhile, Reuters has quoted Jesus Seade, Mexican deputy foreign minister for North America, as saying that a deal to eliminate the Section 232 tariffs was “very close” but he wanted Canada to be in the same position in its negotiations with the Trump administration.
US Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley warned that he would block ratification of the new trade deal, until the steel tariffs are lifted on Canada and Mexico, while US officials have insisted they will only lift the tariffs if Canada and Mexico accept quotas or other protectionist mechanisms, Bloomberg noted.