The Latest: US official ties tariff relief to NATO payments

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on U.S. trade policy (all times local):

1:25 p.m.

U.S. allies seeking to avoid the steel and aluminum tariffs approved by President Donald Trump might be asked to step up their financial commitments to NATO.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told CNBC in an interview Friday that the president will consider national security in determining exemptions from tariffs, and noted that Trump wants to be sure that NATO gets more funding from European allies. Trump has previously criticized some European countries for not contributing enough.

Trump drew on rarely-used national security grounds to place a 25 percent tax on steel imports and 10 percent tax on imported aluminum. Only Canada and Mexico - both partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement being renegotiated - were excluded from the tariffs.

___

9:35 a.m.

The Republican chairman of a Senate oversight committee is launching a review of the president's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin is asking Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to answer several questions about the move. That includes a "detailed cost analysis" of the impact on the economy, how employment levels were factored into the decision and national security concerns.

The chairman of the Senate's Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee has been no fan of President Donald Trump's tariff plan. He says they risk undermining the U.S. economy, including manufacturers in his state. The panel has authority to probe the efficiently and effectiveness of government. Johnson's seeking "detailed" response from the administration by March 22.