As the Trump Administration’s tariffs are now in effect, owners, developers, and contractors managing pending construction projects face questions about who is ultimately responsible for impacts (both time and cost) resulting from those tariffs. Those negotiating contracts for upcoming projects face the predicament of allocating this future risk of material price increases and delays flowing
While China commands the media spotlight in the global war on trade, new trade battles are being waged south of the equator. On Monday December 2, 2019, President Trump announced that he would reinstate tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Argentina and Brazil amid accusations that those countries have been engaging in a “massive devaluation of their currencies.” The President’s announcement, which came via Twitter, also urged the Federal Reserve to take measures to counter foreign currency devaluation, which negatively impacts US manufacturers and farmers ability to fairly export their goods.
Details of the new mandate are unclear as the White House has yet to release an order explaining the changes. Although the US started imposing global tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum in 2018 on countries such as China, certain countries, including Brazil and Argentina, were quick to negotiate exemptions from the tariffs in the form of duty-free quotas. The President’s mandate comes on the heels of softening economies and weaker currencies in Brazil and Argentina, which has the effect of making farm goods in those countries cheaper than US farm production.
Continue Reading President Trump to Restore Tariffs on Aluminum and Steel Imports from Brazil and Argentina