17 July 2020; MEMO: The US Court of International Trade has ruled that the additional tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Turkish steel exports are unconstitutional. Following the court’s decision, Turkish steel exporters are preparing to claim compensation for the damages that Trump’s ruling has caused them.
A statement issued by the Turkish Steel Exporters Association disclosed that Trump imposed 25 per cent customs duties on Turkish steel in March 2018.
The statement quoted the president of the association, Adnan Aslan, stating that Turkish exporters have been affected by the additional taxes that Trump personally imposed on Turkish steel.
The statement added that following the US court’s judgement, the association intends to claim compensation for the damages caused by Trump’s decision.
The statement explained that the Turkish steel exporters received news that Trump imposed additional taxes on their products abruptly, while some were already in the ports or on their ships heading towards the US.
The statement pointed out that 15 per cent of Turkish steel exports were shipped to the US in 2017. However, the quantity has since fallen to three per cent, due to Trump’s decision.
In early March, Trump imposed additional tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and ten per cent on aluminium, while deferring it for 30 days for Canada, the European Union (EU) and Mexico.
