U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on Wednesday, “liberation day,” due to what he said was a “lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships” that is “indicated by large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits.”
Starting at 12:01 a.m. D.C. time on April 5, the United States will impose a 10% tariff on all countries and add “individualized reciprocal higher tariff” on countries with which it has the largest trade deficits, beginning just after midnight on April 9, according to a White House fact sheet.
Israel will be subjected to a 17% tariff, or half of the 33% tariffs that the White House says the Jewish state has put in place for American products. (The prior day, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich signed an order approving the elimination of Israel’s remaining tariffs on imported U.S. goods.)
“These tariffs will remain in effect until such a time as President Trump determines that the threat posed by the trade deficit and underlying nonreciprocal treatment is satisfied, resolved or mitigated,” the White House said.
Mark Mellman, president and CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, stated that Trump “made a grave error in slapping a higher tariff on Israel than on Turkey and even Iran, especially given the fact that Israel eliminated all tariffs on American goods.”
“The president’s action helps the BDS movement achieve one of its key goals—damaging the U.S.-Israeli economic relationship,” Mellman added. “This action undermines the longstanding and robust economic relationship between the United States and Israel, a relationship that has been built on trust, mutual benefit, and a commitment to free and fair trade.”
“Israel eliminated all its tariffs on U.S. imports, an excellent and smart move. Trump still wants to put 17% tariffs on Israeli goods,” wrote Dominic Pino, a National Review Institute fellow.
“Everyone on here shouting ‘reciprocity!’ for the past few weeks is a confirmed idiot,” Pino added.
