Some industries may be spared from next round of U.S. tariffs despite Trump threats

Katie Simpson · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 10:51 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

It appears immoderate cardinal industries facing the menace of caller U.S. tariffs whitethorn beryllium spared from President Donald Trump's adjacent changeable successful his planetary commercialized warfare — astatine slightest for the moment. 

Speaking connected background, a White House official told CBC News that contempt Trump's repeated threats astir sector-specific tariffs, they whitethorn not really hap adjacent month. 

"Obviously POTUS has talked a batch astir sectoral tariffs, but we whitethorn person sectoral tariffs connected April 2 and we whitethorn not," the authoritative said successful an email. 

"No last decisions person been made yet connected sectoral tariffs being tacked onto reciprocal for April 2 timeline."

The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News archetypal reported the imaginable alteration to Trump's tariff plans. 

This benignant of connection is successful enactment with the unpredictable quality of the Trump administration's decisions astir trade. 

Trump is expected to present reciprocal tariffs connected April 2, which helium has argued volition beryllium based connected fairness: If a state has tariffs connected U.S. goods, it volition beryllium targeted. Or if a state has economical policies oregon commercialized barriers the Trump medication views arsenic unfair to American businesses and workers, it could besides beryllium hit. 

Canada has been told by Trump officials it volition beryllium deed with reciprocal tariffs, though it remains unclear what that tariff complaint volition be. 

But Trump has besides spent weeks informing that helium would besides enforce industry-specific tariffs using the aforesaid timeline, including for the car sector.

WATCH | Confusion astir U.S. tariffs acceptable for April 2: 

For example, Trump said successful February that helium intended to enforce auto tariffs "in the neighbourhood of 25 per cent" and akin duties on semiconductors and pharmaceutical imports, but helium aboriginal agreed to hold immoderate car tariffs aft a propulsion by the 3 largest U.S. automakers for a waiver. 

The caller comment from the White House connected Monday suggests that whitethorn not beryllium the lawsuit aft all.

Trump's whirlwind tariff violative since his January inauguration has been marked by threats, reversals and delays, sometimes wrong hours of imposition deadlines.

So far, helium has imposed caller 20 per cent duties connected Chinese imports, fully restored 25 per cent duties connected planetary alloy and aluminum imports, and slapped 25 per cent tariffs connected imports from Canada and Mexico that do not comply with a North American commercialized agreement, linking those to the U.S. fentanyl overdose crisis.

Two elder Trump officials — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and apical White House economical advisor Kevin Hassett — said past week that the medication is expected to absorption the much anticipated April 2 reciprocal tariff announcement connected a narrower acceptable of countries with the biggest trade surpluses and precocious tariff and non-tariff barriers.