Strange what qualifies as good news from the White House these days. President Donald Trump’s order on tariffs was more limited than first threatened and reassuringly vague. So yes, it could have been worse.
Trump has given ground in the face of frantic representations from many Republicans and leaders of American business. “We’re going to be very flexible,” he says. His order sets a tariff of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum -- but exempts Canada and Mexico (which together account for about a quarter of U.S. steel imports), pending talks to amend the North American Free Trade Agreement.