US House speaker Johnson believes White House considering exemptions to reciprocal tariffs

By Jarrett Renshaw and David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said on Wednesday that he believes President Donald Trump is considering exemptions to reciprocal tariffs that include the automobile and pharmaceutical industries.

Trump told Republicans in a White House meeting last week that he was considering four exemptions to the reciprocal tariffs, including imported automobiles and pharmaceutical industries, according to a source briefed on the discussions.

"I think the White House does have a few categories that would be treated differently, and I expect those two would be among them," Johnson said in a brief interview. "But I'm not certain. You have to wait, ask the White House about that."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump's trade advisers on Wednesday were working on plans for the reciprocal tariffs the U.S. president has vowed to impose on every country that charges duties on U.S. imports, ratcheting up fears of a widening global trade war and threatening to accelerate inflation.

Issuing exemptions would suggest a more nuanced approach to deploying tariffs than Trump has demonstrated until now with his repeated threats of sweeping tariffs.

(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw and David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone)

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