Clete Willems Quoted in Law360 on EU’s Tariff Steel Tariff Decision
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Law360 has quoted Akin Gump public law and policy partner Clete Willems in the article “EU Punts Tariff Hike In Favor Of Steel Talks With US,” which reports on a decision by the European Union not to impose a planned tariff increase on certain U.S. goods. The article says the announcement came after the EU and United States agreed to new negotiations on global steel capacity.
As Law360 notes, former President Donald Trump used a Cold War-era national security law in 2018 to set a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum. In return, the EU imposed its own retaliatory tariffs on U.S. whiskey, motorcycles and other products.
Willems, a former Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economics, said the announcement was “a very positive development that shows that the two sides are trying to de-escalate tensions.” He added that he was “optimistic that they will eventually find a long term solution here.”