Tariffs take a turn — again

Most of the tariffs President Trump unveiled last week are now on a 90-day pause. At the moment tariffs will be reduced to a 10 percent baseline rate. Products, including produce, covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement continue to be exempt from the tax.

"More than 75 countries have called representatives of the United States, including the departments of commerce, treasury and the USTR, to negotiate a solution to the subjects being discussed relative to trade, trade barriers, tariffs, currency manipulation and non-monetary tariffs," Trump said when announcing the hold.

This is the latest turn in a stuttering approach to the fees. 

Prior to taking office Trump extolled the virtues of tariffs, saying he would begin them on his first day in office. During his inaugural address he promised to tariff and tax foreign countries, though no levies came that day.

In early February he planned to place tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, then quickly announced a month-long delay, though at that time duties on products from China went into effect; in response China announced its own tariffs on U.S. goods.

In early March the tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods went into effect, with a 25 percent duty put in effect for all imports from Mexico as well as most goods from Canada. That lasted for two days before another pause — this time until April 2 — was announced.

In early April the Trump administration's on-again, off-again tariffs were back on with a baseline 10 percent rate for all countries — maxing out close to 50 percent for some. That plan lasted a week before the new pause was announced.

Tariffs on China, which have continued to increase since February, are now up to 125 percent.