Congressmen urge Trump to exempt Israeli steel imports from tariffs

Two congressmen on the House Tax Writing Committee, a Republican and a Democrat, want the Trump administration to free Israel from steel and aluminum tariffs. Representatives Brad Schneider, D-Ill and David Schneidert, R-Ariz., Asked Robert Lighthizer, the US Trade Representative, to add Israel to the list of tariff-exempt allies, which include South Korea, Australia, Argentina Brazil, Canada and Mexico. The letter noted that Israeli exports accounted for a negligible share of US steel and aluminum imports, 0.0005% and 0.12%, respectively.

Congressmen, who are members of the House Committee on Issues and Resources, said that “while these numbers may seem small, the fact remains that the US is Israel's main trading partner, and any disruption to economic relations will have far-reaching consequences. "We do not believe that Israeli steel and aluminum imports pose a threat to US national security, and we ask you to explain why Israel was not granted exemption."