The United States has fired a warning shot in what could become a global trade war.

ItB次元官网网址檚 threatening to clobber worldwide steel and aluminum imports with tariffs.

The U.S. administration has delivered a series of recommendations to President Donald Trump, and he must decide on a course of action by April.

What he decides to do holds major consequences for Canada B次元官网网址� the biggest supplier of both steel and aluminum south of the border.

READ MORE:

One option would see the U.S. impose a 24 per cent tariff on steel imports from everywhere B次元官网网址� including Canada. Another option would see a 53 per cent tariff on a smaller list of countries that does not include the northern neighbour.

That latter list includes Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, India, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.

A third option would see the president simply ignore the recommendation, or follow an entirely different course of action.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the recommendations Friday.

B次元官网网址淚f (Trump) goes the targeted route, Canada would be excluded,B次元官网网址� Ross told a conference call. B次元官网网址淭he blanket tariff alternative and the blanket quota alternative would target all countries.B次元官网网址�

The ultimate decision rests with the president, the commerce secretary cautioned: B次元官网网址�(Trump) will decide what heB次元官网网址檚 going to doB次元官网网址� He is not bound by these recommendationsB次元官网网址� He could do something totally different B次元官网网址� or do nothing.B次元官网网址�

The recommendations released Friday also include aluminum. The president is being asked to consider a 7.7 per cent tariff on all aluminum exports from all countries, or a 23.6 per cent tariff on just a few countries: China, Hong Kong, Russia, Venezuela and Vietnam.

The proposals also call for the use of quotas.

The options suggested include limiting all countries to steel exports equal to 63 per cent of their 2017 exports into the U.S., or a more severe quota for a smaller list of countries if Trump goes the more targeted route.

Ross said he anticipates countries might fight back: B次元官网网址淚t wouldnB次元官网网址檛 surprise us if there were (retaliation).B次元官网网址�

The Canadian Press