Turkey taxes US$1.8B worth of U.S. goods
by The Associated Press
Another U.S. ally strikes back against Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs
WASHINGTON—Turkey is imposing tariffs on nearly two dozen U.S. products, ranging from cars to sunscreen, to strike back at Washington’s sanctions on imported steel and aluminum.
According to documents filed with the World Trade Organization, Turkey will slap US$267 million in tariffs on $1.8 billion worth of products the United States exports to Turkey.
The tariffs, which take effect Thursday, are in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s decision to tax foreign steel and aluminum. The U.S. says the metals imports pose a threat to U.S. national security. The move has enraged traditional U.S. allies such as the European Union, Canada and Turkey.
On Friday, the 28-nation EU will start taxing a range of U.S. imports, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles and cranberries.
“We cannot and will not allow Turkey to be wrongly blamed for America’s economic challenges,” said Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci.
The U.S. tariffs come to $267 million on $1.1 billion in Turkish steel and aluminum shipments to the United States. Turkey is America 32nd-biggest trading partner, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
