Trump says he will double steel, aluminum tariffs to 50%

Al Arabiya

a day ago

US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent starting next week, the latest salvo in his trade war aimed at protecting domestic industries.
'We're going to bring it from 25 percent to 50 percent, the tariffs on steel into the United States of America,' he said while addressing workers at a US Steel plant in Pennsylvania.
'Nobody's going to get around that,' he added in a speech before blue-collar workers in the battleground state that helped deliver his election victory last year.
Shortly after, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the elevated rate would also apply to aluminum, with the new tariffs 'effective Wednesday, June 4th.'
Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, in moves that have rocked the global trade order and roiled financial markets.
The tariffs saw a brief legal setback earlier this week when a court ruled Trump had overstepped his authority, but an appellate court on Thursday said they could remain in effect while litigation continues.
Trump has also issued sector-specific levies on goods such as automobiles. On Friday, he defended his trade policies, arguing that tariffs help protect US industry. He said the steel facility where he was speaking would not exist if not for his earlier metals duties.
'Devil in the details'
Trump also touted a planned partnership between US Steel and Japan's Nippon Steel, though he offered few new details on the deal, which has faced bipartisan opposition.
He emphasized that 'US Steel will continue to be controlled by the USA,' and said there would be no layoffs or outsourcing of jobs.
Upon returning to Washington later Friday, Trump told reporters he had yet to approve the deal.
'I have to approve the final deal with Nippon, and we haven't seen that final deal yet, but they've made a very big commitment,' he said.
Last week, Trump said US Steel would remain headquartered in Pittsburgh and that the arrangement with Nippon would create at least 70,000 jobs and add $14 billion to the US economy.
In Pennsylvania, he said Nippon would invest $2.2 billion to boost steel production at the Mon Valley Works–Irvin plant, where he was speaking. Another $7 billion would go toward modernizing steel mills, expanding ore mining, and building facilities in states including Indiana and Minnesota.
The proposed $14.9 billion sale of US Steel to Nippon Steel had previously drawn political opposition from both parties. Former president Joe Biden blocked the deal on national security grounds shortly before leaving office.
Concerns about the new partnership remain. The United Steelworkers union (USW), which represents thousands of hourly workers at US Steel facilities, said after Trump's speech that it had not participated in discussions involving Nippon Steel and the Trump administration.
'We cannot speculate about the meaning of the 'planned partnership,'' said USW International President David McCall in a statement.
'Whatever the deal structure, our primary concern remains with the impact that this merger of US Steel into a foreign competitor will have on national security, our members, and the communities where we live and work.'
'The devil is always in the details,' he added.
Trump had opposed Nippon Steel's takeover plan during his campaign, but since returning to office, he has signaled openness to some form of investment.