OCTOBER 2018 • FOGHORN 31 By Ed Welch, PV A Legislative Director LEGISLATIVEREPORT Trade Wars May Impact PVA Members D isputes over international trade policies have broken out between the United States and many of its trading partners. The result: President Trump’s administra- tion has levied sizable tariffs on various products coming into the United States. Will these tariffs affect PVA members? The first imported products on which tariffs were imposed were steel and aluminum. This past February, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross made public a report in which he declared that American manufactur- ers of steel and aluminum were being harmed by these imports and that a response was needed to prevent impair- ment ofAmerican national security. The term “national security” in this context is not limited to the requirements of the U.S. military but is broad enough to embrace the needs of critical indus- tries in the civilian economy. Secretary Ross said that steel imports should be reduced by more than one-third and aluminum imports should come down by nearly 15 percent. He recommended that the President impose tariffs or set imports quotas, or both. President Trump acted on March 23 of this year, establishing tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminum. Eventually, several nations were granted relief from the tariffs, including Australia, Brazil, Argentina, South PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE PROPELLING EXCELLENCE MARINE GEARBOXES WWW.KARLSENNER.COM (504)469-4000 AZIMUTH THRUSTERS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS