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Report: Trump believes Cohn may quit as economic adviser over import tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump believes Gary Cohn would quit his post as White House economic adviser if the proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports push through, Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed sources.

Trump has relayed this belief to his advisers, according to the report, which said Cohn was making a final attempt to avert the implementation of the tariffs that have fueled fears of a trade war with other countries.

Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, has been setting up meetings this week between Trump and executives of companies that depend on steel and aluminum to try to sway the president from his tariffs plan, Bloomberg News said.

Amid reports of high-profile departures, Trump insisted that his administration was running as he intends.

"People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision," Trump tweeted. "I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!"

Trump said March 1 the U.S. will tax imports of steel at 25% and aluminum imports at 10%, prompting foreign governments including the EU, Canada and China to warn of retaliation.

Days after his announcement, Trump said he would be willing to drop tariffs on Canada and Mexico if the U.S. gets a better deal on the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Meanwhile, White House National Trade Council Director Peter Navarro told CNN that no countries would be excluded from the tariffs. However, he said a process will be in place for specific cases that need exemptions from the tariffs "so that business can move forward."