The decision by US President Donald Trump to impose tariff protection on steel and aluminium imports has been heavily criticised both domestically and internationally. South Africa, which offered to restrict its exports to 2017 levels, expressed disappointment at not being exempted on April 30, while countries accounting for about half of all steel and aluminium imports to the US were. The European Commission, which coordinates trade policy for the 28 members of the European Union (EU), called for a permanent exemption, describing the extension of a temporary reprieve on EU exports as simply prolonging market uncertainty.