I hope Freeland and Trudeau have the smarts to see this latest American 'plan'   
   as nothing more than a delay tactic to avoid Trump getting a black eye in   
   swing states.   
      
   If they want to cancel the tariffs on aluminum, they can do it immediately.    
   They know it and we know it.  Now do it or step aside and let Ms Freeland   
   through . . . .   
   ________________________________________   
   CBC News · Posted: Sep 15, 2020   
      
   U.S. presents plan to drop duties on aluminum imports after Canada threatens   
   retaliation   
      
   Ministers Chrystia Freeland and Mary Ng were to release list of measures to   
   counter U.S. tariffs today   
      
      
   The U.S. Trade Representative's office said today it's poised to drop tariffs   
   on Canadian aluminum imports — just hours before Canada was set to unveil   
   counter-measures in retaliation.   
      
   A statement from the USTR said that after consultations with the Canadian   
   government, the U.S. has determined that trade is expected to "normalize" in   
   the last four months of the year, declining after "surges" experienced earlier   
   in the year.   
      
   "Accordingly, the United States will modify the terms of the 10 per cent   
   tariff imposed in August on imports of Canadian non-alloyed unwrought   
   aluminum," the statement reads.   
      
   The USTR's statement lays out shipment volumes for each of those four months,   
   which will be monitored to ensure they aren't exceeded.   If they do, the U.S.   
   expects that imports would decline by a corresponding amount the following   
   month.   
      
   The tariffs could be re-imposed if shipment volumes exceed 105 per cent of the   
   stated volumes, it said.   
      
   "The United States will consult with the Canadian government at the end of the   
   year to review the state of the aluminum trade in light of trade patterns   
   during the four-month period and expected market conditions in 2021," the   
   statement reads.   
      
   The statement comes after a period of intense trade brinkmanship between the   
   two trading partners. Earlier today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada   
   would unveil retaliatory measures to counter "unjust" American aluminum   
   tariffs this afternoon.   
      
   In a statement before the second day of a cabinet retreat in Ottawa, Trudeau   
   said the government would act to protect Canada's aluminum industry.   
      
   "I want to highlight that we will be taking action to counter the unjust   
   tariffs put on Canadian aluminum by the United States," he said.   
      
   "As I've said many times, we will always be there to defend Canadian workers.   
   We will defend our aluminum sector."   
      
   Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Small   
   Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister Mary Ng were set   
   to release details of the plan this afternoon.  They are still scheduled to   
   hold a news conference at 3 p.   
   m. ET in Ottawa today.   
      
   The government had said during the summer that unless the U.S. dropped its   
   latest round of aluminum tariffs, Canada would impose $3.6 billion in   
   counter-measures.   
      
   Canada was responding to a 10 per cent tariff announced by President Donald   
   Trump in August, a move that hit more than half of Canada's aluminum exports   
   to the U.S.   
      
   NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the tariffs and counter-tariffs will hurt   
   workers on both sides of the border because the aluminum sector is so   
   interconnected.  He said the government should have done more to convince the   
   Americans not to impose the duties    
   in the first place.   
      
   "I think we knew that the president of the United States has done something   
   like this in the past.  We should have put in place steps ahead of time and   
   been proactive to prevent this from happening," he said.   
      
   "Now that we're in it, the retaliatory measures are something I support, but I   
   want to make sure that the money that's gained in the retaliatory measures   
   actually goes towards supporting the industry, supporting workers   
   specifically."   
      
   U. S. Chamber of Commerce executive vice-president Myron Brilliant issued a   
   statement welcoming the news that the U.S. will drop what the organization   
   called "damaging" tariffs.   
      
   "What American manufacturers need now is certainty that these tariffs won't   
   make another reappearance.  Setting aside these threats once and for all will   
   allow American job creators to focus on economic recovery," the statement   
   reads.   
      
      
   'Dollar-for-dollar' countermeasures   
      
   Trump announced that he would impose the tariffs during a campaign speech at a   
   Whirlpool factory in Ohio, citing national security concerns.   
      
   At the time, Freeland responded quickly by stating that Canada "intends to   
   swiftly impose dollar-for-dollar countermeasures" in response.   
      
   "Canadian aluminum does not undermine U.S. national security.  Canadian   
   aluminum strengthens U.S. national security, and has done so for decades   
   through unparalleled co-operation between our two countries," she said in   
   August.   
      
   Ontario Premier Doug Ford also publicly lashed out at Trump's "unacceptable"   
   decision, saying it could compromise the historically strong trade   
   relationship between the two countries.   
      
   He urged Ontario residents to "hit 'em where it hurts," noting that the   
   province's consumer base is an economic powerhouse.   
   ________________________________________   
      
       U.S. reacts angrily to losing WTO ruling on China tariffs   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)