ANKARA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish government has imposed additional tariffs of 267 million U.S. dollars on the U.S. goods in retaliation for U.S. President Donald Trump's levies on imported steel and aluminum from Turkey.
Turkey will impose 40 percent and 35 percent tariffs respectively on whisky and automobile imports, according to Emre Ozpeynirci, a Hurriyet commentator.
In addition, Ankara will impose a 32-percent tariff on polyvinyl chloride imports and 30 percent for make-ups, plastic materials, synthetic cords and construction materials of iron and steel, Ozpeynirci said.
A 10-percent additional customs duty will be imposed on coal, Turkey's largest imported item from the United States worth a total of 325.5 million dollars in 2017.
On March 23, the United States imposed a 25-percent tariff on imported iron and steel, and a 10-percent one on aluminum on countries including Turkey.
Trump's move triggered Turkey's countermeasures, after Washington rejected Ankara's request of exemption.
Turkey started to apply countermeasures on 22 items of U.S. imports on June 21, including coal, paper, walnuts, almonds, tobacco, unprocessed rice, whiskey, automobiles, cosmetics, machinery and equipment, and petrochemical products.
"Turkey is committed to active, robust and reciprocal trade relations with the U.S., but with the understanding that fairness cannot be one-sided," Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said Thursday.
"We cannot and will not allow Turkey to be wrongly blamed for U.S. economic challenges," he added.
In 2017, Turkey exported 1.04 billion dollars of steel and 60 million dollars of aluminum to the United States. The additional tariffs will cost Turkey an extra 266.5 million dollars on its exports to the U.S. last year.
The Turkish government claimed that it has imposed the same amount of levies.
"They are proportional, measured and designed to protect Turkey's interests, while encouraging dialogue," Zeybekci said.
Turkey was the U.S. sixth largest steel exporter, exporting a total of 1.12 billion dollars of steel to the U.S. in 2017, according to figures from Turkish Steel Exporters' Association.
The U.S. is the fifth largest market for Turkish exports and trade volume between the two countries amounted to 20.6 billion dollar in 2017.
"In terms of trade and politics, Trump behaves like an elephant in a glass store," said Erdal Saglam, a journalist and expert on economy.
Ankara has tried to settle the row diplomatically, by attempting to convince Washington to grant exemption, he said, referring to a visit by Turkish Deputy Minister of Economy Fatih Metin to the United States in May.
Turkey actually does not want to worsen economic relations with the United States, at a time when military and political ties have already been strained between the two NATO allies, he noted.
The United States is an "important country, an important ally of Turkey, but not a very crucial trade partner," Mehmet Simsek, Turkish deputy prime minister, said Saturday.
"Trade, particularly with respect to automotive exports to the United States, Turkey is the least vulnerable country," Simsek said, elaborating on Trump's threat on Friday to escalate a trade war with Europe by imposing a 20-percent tariff on all U.S. imports of EU-assembled cars.
"Therefore, Turkey is not worried, but the U.S. move will spoil general international trade environment," he said.
"The U.S. is harming a structure established in post-World War II era that is still benefiting the world at the moment," the minister said.
