1st LD: U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum imports from EU, Canada, Mexico to take effect from Friday

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday that U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union (EU), Canada and Mexico will take effect from Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has decided not to extend the temporary steel and aluminum tariff exemptions for these three key trading partners, Ross told reporters at a conference call.

"We look forward to continued negotiations with Canada and Mexico on one hand and with the European Commission on the other hand as there are other issues we need to get resolved," he said.

In March, Trump announced plans to impose 25-percent tariff on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum, while delaying implementation for some trading partners to offer concessions to avoid the tariffs.

The White House said in late April that the steel and aluminum tariff exemptions for EU member countries, Canada and Mexico would be extended until June 1 in order to give "a final 30 days" for them to reach agreements over trade negotiations. But those negotiations have so far failed to result in a deal.

The Trump administration is using the so-called Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act from 1962, a decades-old law, to slap tariffs on imported steel and aluminum products on the ground of national security, which has drawn strong opposition from the domestic business community and U.S. trading partners. Enditem