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Saudi Arabia Joins the Largest Arab Union of Iron Producers

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced that it will issue a ban on working under the sun between noon and 3:00 p.m. from Wednesday (Shutterstock)
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced that it will issue a ban on working under the sun between noon and 3:00 p.m. from Wednesday (Shutterstock)
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Saudi Arabia Joins the Largest Arab Union of Iron Producers

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced that it will issue a ban on working under the sun between noon and 3:00 p.m. from Wednesday (Shutterstock)
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced that it will issue a ban on working under the sun between noon and 3:00 p.m. from Wednesday (Shutterstock)

The National Committee for Steel Industry in the Council of Saudi Chambers has joined the largest Arab gathering of iron producers, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Joining the Arab Iron & Steel Union enhances the Kingdom’s position in the sector, SPA reported, citing a statement from the committee.

Based in Algeria, the union is among the bodies approved by the League of Arab States and works to achieve Arab integration in the field of steel and iron industry.

Raed Al-Ajaji, Chairman of the National Committee for Steel Industry in the Council of Saudi Chambers, said that joining Arab Iron and Steel Union is a qualitative achievement.

According to al-Ajaji, iron and steel represent some of the most important strategic economic sectors, the backbone of the construction and development process in the Kingdom, and an essential element in the discussions and agenda of the G20 summit meetings.

Al-Ajaji explained that the membership would give access to the Arab database related to the steel industry, related reports, studies, and statistics.

Moreover, it influences the performance and trends of the steel sector in the region by allowing participation in market development programs and initiatives, communicating with experts, specialists, and industry giants, and joining work teams and expert committees in the field.

Al-Ajaji stressed the Committee's support for the efforts and activities of the Arab Iron and Steel Union, especially in terms of achieving economic integration, developing the steel industry in the region, and enhancing its competitiveness against foreign counterparts.

In other news, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced that it will issue a ban on working under the sun between noon and 3:00 p.m. starting Wednesday.

The decision will go into effect on June 15 and continue until September 15, to safeguard the health and safety of workers during the hot summer months.

The ministry called on employers to outline working hours and implement the decision to limit injuries and diseases, and to also improve the productivity of employees.

Employees and employers can find more information on the procedures for worker health and vocational safety on the ministry’s website.

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Trump Exempts Mexico Goods from Tariffs for a Month, but Doesn’t Mention Canada

Construction workers are seen on the site of a new development in Long Beach, California, March 5, 2025. (AFP)
Construction workers are seen on the site of a new development in Long Beach, California, March 5, 2025. (AFP)
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Trump Exempts Mexico Goods from Tariffs for a Month, but Doesn’t Mention Canada

Construction workers are seen on the site of a new development in Long Beach, California, March 5, 2025. (AFP)
Construction workers are seen on the site of a new development in Long Beach, California, March 5, 2025. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said Mexico won't be required to pay tariffs on any goods that fall under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade until April 2, but made no mention of a reprieve for Canada despite his Commerce secretary saying a comparable exemption was likely.

"After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This Agreement is until April 2nd."

Earlier on Thursday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the one-month reprieve on hefty tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and Canada that has been granted to automotive products is likely to be extended to all products that comply with the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade.

Lutnick told CNBC he expected Trump to announce that extension on Thursday, a day after exempting automotive goods from the 25% tariffs he slapped on imports from Canada and Mexico earlier in the week.

Trump "is going to decide this today," Lutnick said, adding "it's likely that it will cover all USMCA-compliant goods and services."

"So if you think about it this way, if you lived under Donald Trump's US-Mexico-Canada agreement, you will get a reprieve from these tariffs now. If you chose to go outside of that, you did so at your own risk, and today is when that reckoning comes," he said.

Nonetheless, Trump's social media post made no mention of a reprieve for Canada, the other party to the USMCA deal that Trump negotiated during his first term as president.

Lutnick said his "off the cuff" estimate was that more than 50% of the goods imported from the two US neighbors - also its largest two trading partners - were compliant with the USMCA deal that Trump negotiated during his first term as president.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Lutnick's comments "promising" in remarks to reporters in Canada.

"That aligns with some of the conversations that we have been having with administration officials, but I'm going to wait for an official agreement to talk about Canadian response and look at the details of it," Trudeau said. "But it is a promising sign. But I will highlight that it means that the tariffs remain in place, and therefore our response will remain in place."

Lutnick emphasized that the reprieve would only last until April 2, when he said the administration plans to move ahead with reciprocal tariffs under which the US will impose levies that match those imposed by trading partners.

In the meantime, he said, the current hiatus is about getting fentanyl deaths down, which is the initial justification Trump used for the tariffs on Mexico and Canada and levies on Chinese goods that have now risen to 20%.

"On April 2, we're going to move with the reciprocal tariffs, and hopefully Mexico and Canada will have done a good enough job on fentanyl that this part of the conversation will be off the table, and we'll move just to the reciprocal tariff conversation," Lutnick said. "But if they haven't, this will stay on."

Indeed, Trudeau is expecting the US and Canada to remain in a trade war.

"I can confirm that we will continue to be in a trade war that was launched by the United States for the foreseeable future," he told reporters in Ottawa.