"When it comes to unfairly traded steel and aluminum, Mexico, Canada and Europe are not the problem - China is," said Representative Kevin Brady, the chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. "These tariffs are hitting the wrong target."

Brady urged the administration in a statement to exempt the imports from "these important national security partners" and added that administration officials "will need to come to Capitol hill to provide answers about the indiscriminate harm these tariffs are causing our local businesses."

(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Lisa Lambert)