Ball is back in Turkey’s court.
Via Daily Mail:
President Donald Trump said on Friday he had authorized higher tariffs on imports from Turkey, imposing a 20 percent duty on aluminum and 50 percent one on steel, as tensions mount between the two NATO allies over Ankara’s detention of an evangelical pastor and other diplomatic issues.
‘I have just authorized a doubling of Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum with respect to Turkey as their currency, the Turkish Lira, slides rapidly downward against our very strong Dollar!’ Trump said in an early morning post on Twitter.
‘Aluminum will now be 20 percent and Steel 50 percent. Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!’
In a statement the White House clarified that Trump had authorized the preparation of documents to raise steel and aluminum tariffs through his authority under Section 232 of U.S. trade law. It did not say when the tariffs would take effect.
Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey’s justice minister and interior minister for refusing to release American pastor Andrew Brunson, who had been in custody since 2016 on charges of terrorism and espionage that Washington says are bogus and was last week moved to house arrest.