Trump announces plan to double steel tariffs
President Trump announced Friday his administration would be doubling tariffs on steel imports from 25 percent to 50 percent during a visit to Pennsylvania focused on boosting the U.S. steel industry.
'We're going to bring it from 25 to 50 percent on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States,' Trump said during remarks at a steel factory in Pittsburgh.
The president's announcement came as part of an event to tout what Trump called a 'blockbuster' agreement between U.S. Steel and Japanese-owned Nippon Steel.
'We're here today to celebrate a blockbuster agreement that will ensure this storied American company stays an American company,' Trump said in remarks from a factory in Allegheny County. 'We're going to have a great partner. And I have to tell you, Japan has been a tremendous friend of mine during my years as president.'
Trump has in the early months of his second term emphasized a push to bring back domestic manufacturing and jobs, largely through the aggressive use of tariffs.
He previously imposed a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports, arguing it would boost the U.S. steel industry. Those were in addition to tariffs on automobile tariffs, and a baseline 10 percent tariff on all imports.
Those tariffs have faced legal scrutiny and skepticism from Wall Street and critics on both sides of the aisle, who have warned that the tariffs will ultimately lead to price increases for consumers. Trump and his allies have insisted the tariff threats, which have often been delayed or revised, have been effective at bringing other countries to the negotiating table.
Trump last week announced a new partnership between U.S. Steel and Nippon on social media, saying it 'will create at least 70,000 jobs, and add $14 Billion Dollars to the U.S. Economy.'
U.S. Steel's fate had been uncertain dating back to December 2023, when Japan-based Nippon steel said it planned to acquire the Pittsburgh-based company. The fate of U.S. Steel became a hot button issue during the 2024 campaign, particularly given its headquarters was in a key battleground.
Both Trump and former President Biden had opposed the sale of U.S. Steel. Biden blocked the sale shortly before leaving office, citing national security reasons.
The president's remarks on Friday echoed many of his typical political speeches. He blasted 'liberal judges,' attacked the previous administration for its border policies and falsely claimed the 2020 election had been fraudulent.
The president was flanked by banners that read 'The Golden Age,' 'American Jobs' and 'American Steel.'
Trump invited on stage former Pittsburgh Steelers player Rocky Bleier and current Steelers players Mason Rudolph and Miles Killebrew, who presented the president with a football jersey to express their appreciation.
But the intended focus was on Trump's attempts to revive the steel industry. The president argued other presidents had ignored the steel industry at the expense of places like Pittsburgh.
The United States was the world's fourth-largest steel producing nation as of 2023, according to the World Steel Association. It is also the world's largest steel importer, excluding the European Union, according to the International Trade Association.
'Decades of Washington betrayal and incompetence and stupidity and corruption cost this region over 100,000 steel jobs, and they melted away just like butter melts away,' Trump said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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