Comercio recíproco y aranceles
MEMORANDUM PARA EL SECRETARIO DEL TESORO
EL SECRETARIO DE COMERCIO
EL SECRETARIO DE SEGURIDAD NACIONAL
EL DIRECTOR DE LA OFICINA DE GESTIÓN Y PRESUPUESTO
EL REPRESENTANTE COMERCIAL DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS
EL ASISTENTE DEL PRESIDENTE PARA LA POLÍTICA ECONÓMICA
EL CONSEJERO PRINCIPAL DEL PRESIDENTE PARA EL COMERCIO Y LA FABRICACIÓN
ASUNTO: Comercio recíproco y aranceles
Section 1. Background. The United States has one of the most open economies and has among the lowest average weighted tariff rates in the world. The United States imposes fewer barriers to imports than other major world economies, including those with similar political and economic systems. For many years, the United States has been treated unfairly by trading partners, both friend and foe. This lack of reciprocity is one source of our country’s large and persistent annual trade deficit in goods — closed markets abroad reduce United States exports and open markets at home result in significant imports.
Our workers and industries bear the brunt of unfair practices and limited access to foreign markets. As noted in the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (America First Trade Policy Memorandum), this situation is untenable. The trade deficit of the United States threatens our economic and national security, has hollowed out our industrial base, has reduced our overall national competitiveness, and has made our Nation dependent on other countries to meet our key security needs. By making trade more reciprocal and balanced, we can reduce the trade deficit; grow the United States economy; and improve our trade relationships with trading partners to the benefit of American workers, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, and businesses.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to reduce our large and persistent annual trade deficit in goods and to address other unfair and unbalanced aspects of our trade with foreign trading partners. In pursuit of this policy, I will introduce the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan”(Plan). Under the Plan, my Administration will work strenuously to counter non-reciprocal trading arrangements with trading partners by determining the equivalent of a reciprocal tariff with respect to each foreign trading partner. This approach will be of comprehensive scope, examining non-reciprocal trade relationships with all United States trading partners, including any:
(a) tariffs imposed on United States products;
(b) unfair, discriminatory, or extraterritorial taxes imposed by our trading partners on United States businesses, workers, and consumers, including a value-added tax;
(c) costs to United States businesses, workers, and consumers arising from nontariff barriers or measures and unfair or harmful acts, policies, or practices, including subsidies, and burdensome regulatory requirements on United States businesses operating in other countries;
(d) policies and practices that cause exchange rates to deviate from their market value, to the detriment of Americans; wage suppression; and other mercantilist policies that make United States businesses and workers less competitive; and
(e) any other practice that, in the judgment of the United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Senior Counselor to the President for Trade and Manufacturing, imposes any unfair limitation on market access or any structural impediment to fair competition with the market economy of the United States.
The Plan shall ensure comprehensive fairness and balance across the international trading system by factoring in losses as a result of measures that disadvantage the United States as applied, regardless of what they are called or whether they are written or unwritten.
Sec. 3. Taking Action. (a) After the submission of the specified agency reports due under the America First Trade Policy Memorandum, the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Senior Counselor to the President for Trade and Manufacturing, and the heads of such other executive departments and agencies as the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative deem relevant, shall initiate, pursuant to their respective legal authorities, all necessary actions to investigate the harm to the United States from any non-reciprocal trade arrangements adopted by any trading partners. Upon completion of such necessary actions, they shall submit to me a report detailing proposed remedies in pursuit of reciprocal trade relations with each trading partner.
(b) Within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall assess all fiscal impacts on the Federal Government and the impacts of any information collection requests on the public, and shall deliver an assessment in writing to the President.
Sec. 4. Definitions. For the purposes of this memorandum:
(a) “Value-added tax” means a type of consumption tax that is levied on the incremental increase in value of a good or service at each stage of the supply chain.
(b) “Barrera no arancelaria” o “medida” significa cualquier medida o política impuesta por el gobierno o barrera no monetaria que restrinja, prevenga o impida el comercio internacional de bienes, incluyendo políticas de importación, medidas sanitarias y fitosanitarias, barreras técnicas al comercio, compras gubernamentales, subsidios a la exportación, falta de protección de la propiedad intelectual, barreras comerciales digitales y conducta anticompetitiva tolerada por el gobierno de empresas estatales o privadas.
Sec. 5. Disposiciones generales. (a) Nada en este memorando se interpretará como que perjudica o afecta de otra manera:
(i) la autoridad otorgada por ley a un departamento o agencia ejecutiva, o al jefe del mismo; o
(ii) las funciones del Director de la Oficina de Administración y Presupuesto relacionadas con propuestas presupuestarias, administrativas o legislativas.
(b) Este memorando se implementará de conformidad con la ley aplicable y sujeto a la disponibilidad de asignaciones.
(c) Este memorando no tiene por objeto, y no crea, ningún derecho o beneficio, sustantivo o procesal, exigible por ley o en equidad por ninguna de las partes contra los Estados Unidos, sus departamentos, agencias o entidades, sus funcionarios, empleados o agentes, o cualquier otra persona.
(d) El Representante Comercial de los Estados Unidos está autorizado y se le ordena publicar este memorando en el Registro Federal.
