Steele tariffs get different exceptions from different couintries

Fuel Fix:

U.S. tariffs on foreign steel are testing oil and gas companies' ability to navigate the Trump administration.

The American Petroleum Institute, the industry's largest lobbying group, said Friday that it was disappointed in the White House's decision to deny an exemption request for tariffs "on imported steel used in certain parts of oil and natural gas industry operations."

"The administration's arbitrary process to determine these exclusions lacks transparency as it's not clear how and why certain exclusion petitions are granted or denied," said API Vice President for Regulatory and Economic Policy Kyle Isakower. "What is clear, though, is that implementation of tariffs on imported steel undermines domestic energy production and the future of our nation's energy infrastructure which is critical to bringing American energy to market."

Last week the Trump administration rejected a request from Borusan Mannesmann Pipe US for an exclusion on the 135,000 tons of Turkish steel it imports to its facility in Baytown each year.

But others have fared better.

The statement came a day after reports that Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell were both granted exclusions from the tariff in order to buy Japanese steel used in drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
...

I think the difference is that Japan has agreed to reduce or eliminate its tariffs on US goods.  Both Japan and South Korea have been more cooperative with the Trump administration on the trade issue.