**[White House Announces Effective Date and Exemption Scope for Temporary Import Tariff]** On February 20 local time, the White House issued a statement announcing that U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on the same day to impose a temporary import tariff. Trump invoked the authority granted under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, which empowers the president to address certain fundamental international payment issues through surcharges and other special import restrictions. The proclamation stipulates a 10% ad valorem import tariff on goods imported into the United States for a period of 150 days. This temporary import tariff will take effect on February 24, Eastern Time. Due to the needs of the U.S. economy or to ensure that the tariff more effectively addresses the fundamental international payment issues facing the United States, certain goods will be exempt from this temporary import tariff. These include: certain critical minerals; metals used for currency and bullion; energy and energy products; natural resources and fertilizers that cannot be grown, mined, or otherwise produced in the United States, or cannot be grown, mined, or otherwise produced in sufficient quantities to meet domestic demand; certain agricultural products, including beef, tomatoes, and oranges; pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients; certain electronic products; passenger cars, certain light trucks, certain medium and heavy vehicles, buses, and certain components of passenger cars, light trucks, heavy vehicles, and buses; certain aerospace products; and informational materials (such as books), donated items, and personal luggage. Additionally, certain goods will not be subject to the temporary import tariff, including all items currently or in the future governed by Section 232 and their components; goods from Canada and Mexico that comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA); and textiles and apparel imported duty-free as goods from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, or Nicaragua under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). (Source: CCTV News)