The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that the United States has begun the process of cutting tariffs on certain Canadian steel and aluminum exports. The Globe's Mark Rendell writes that while this action falls short of the comprehensive relief that Ottawa is seeking, it indicates a change in the Trump administration's approach to trade policy. Last month, President Donald Trump gave the U.S. Department of Commerce discretion to lower tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico by up to half if certain conditions are met. To get the exemption -- which could cut the tariff rate by half -- a steel or aluminum company must be expanding its production footprint in the U.S., and the metal must be destined for use in U.S. auto manufacturing. This is much narrower than the kind of relief Canadian negotiators were seeking before trade talks with Washington broke down again last month. To date, no companies have received the exemption. The amendment highlights two key trends in U.S. trade policy: the willingness to reduce some tariffs to address rising costs, and the Trump administration's openness to cutting tariff deals with specific companies in exchange for expanding U.S. production.