Last week, President Trump called for a 90-day pause on most of the sweeping tariffs he had imposed on all foreign imports to allow for renegotiations. Stock markets rebounded and several countries expressed cautious optimism. But for Washington’s closest allies, a pause is not enough.

Intended to balance America’s trade relationships, Trump’s tariffs instead inflicted disproportionate damage on two of Washington’s closest allies in the Middle East: Egypt and Jordan.

For two nations that have aligned themselves with U.S. strategic objectives, hosted American troops, signed peace treaties with Israel and acted as key intermediaries in regional stability, the blow was both economic and symbolic. Rather than just targeting trade abusers, the tariffs also punished partners who have remained loyal to the U.S. through decades of shared interests and cooperation.

Now that Trump is walking his tariffs back, he should permanently rescind them for critical allies who should never have faced them in the first place.

Egypt, the most populous Arab country and a pillar of regional stability, was slapped with the new policy’s flat 10 percent tariff. Though not among the highest rates imposed, this levy nonetheless hit Egyptian exports at a critical moment. The U.S. is one of Egypt’s most important non-oil trading partners, with bilateral trade reaching $7.6 billion in the first 10 months of........

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