U.S. President Donald Trump has decided that no action will be taken on imports of titanium sponge, a key component in military aircraft, following a Commerce Department investigation which found that such imports hurt U.S. makers of the material and threaten national security.
According to a memo signed by Trump, 94.4% percent of titanium sponge imported into the U.S in 2018 came from Japan – a U.S. ally.
The United States has “an important security relationship with Japan,” reads the memo. Rather than use tariffs, Trump has agreed with a Commerce Department recommendation which calls for the United States to open talks with Japan on measures to ensure access to titanium sponge in emergencies.
References: reuters.com
