The US intends to make exceptions to its tariffs on imports from countries that apply similar protectionist measures to American goods, but they will be few, US President Donald Trump said.
"I don't want there to be too many exceptions", the American leader said in an interview with Newsmax.
"Other countries have been running away from us for 45-50 years and more. We have always been soft and weak. "The situation was practically such that we had people in charge who had no idea what they were doing," Trump said.
On March 4, the US administration imposed a 25% tariff on almost all imports from Canada and Mexico, and raised tariffs on goods from China from 10% to 20%.
On March 6, Trump signed executive orders to postpone until April 2 the 25% import tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico that fall under the trilateral trade agreement. He indicated that there would be no such relief after that date. He had previously announced his intention to introduce new, retaliatory tariffs on imported goods from April 2. On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada impose much higher tariffs on the United States than the United States imposes on them, he noted.