Energy commodities excluded from Trump's comprehensive tariffs

BlockBeats News: On April 3rd, a Reuters columnist pointed out that in Trump's announcement of comprehensive new import tariffs, almost no one noticed that energy commodities were excluded. The White House announced on Wednesday that a benchmark tariff of 10% on all US imports (with higher tariffs on many major trading partners) will not apply to crude oil, natural gas, and refined oil products. The strategy of exempting energy import tariffs is clearly intended to limit the price pain that Americans will feel from tariffs, and is also in line with Trump's broader goal of maintaining low energy prices. But this move also exacerbates the dilemma faced by other countries in how to respond to Trump's disruption of the global trade system. One of the best bargaining chips for many countries in response to US tariffs is the energy they purchase or may purchase from the US. (Golden Ten)