MNI BRIEF: Joint Rebuke Could Reverse US Tariffs-Ex-Official

The United States would likely retreat from new global tariffs after the 90-day pause if there is coordinated retaliation among key trading partners, Canada's top negotiator during Donald Trump's first term said Thursday. 

“If countries decided at that point that they should retaliate in some coordinated fashion I don’t think they would last long, and I think that would be a significant rebuke to the U.S. about the merits of going in that kind of direction,” Steve Verheul said at a conference in Ottawa. “What we’ve seen just yesterday with the U.S. backing off” shows “the U.S. administration can feel that kind of pressure.”

Canada had success rolling back steel and aluminum tariffs in Trump's first term by retaliating, Verheul said. “It gives you some leverage that you don’t otherwise have,” he said. Accepting tariffs means "continuing to offer concessions and never knowing what the price is going to be at the end of the day.” (See: MNI INTERVIEW:Tariffs Freeze Fed, Court Global Recession-Fatas)