Trump Doubles Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum

By Ashley Murray

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a directive Tuesday doubling tariffs on steel and aluminum, marking another escalation in his on-and-off policy rocking global trade.

Trump announced the increased levies to 50%, up from 25%, on steel and aluminum Friday during a visit to U.S. Steel’s Irving plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. The president told the crowd he would hike the tariffs to “even further secure the steel industry in the United States.”

The increase will mark the second time since Trump’s second term began that he triggered national security duties on steel and aluminum, a major import into the U.S.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed during Tuesday’s daily press briefing that Trump would sign the directive Tuesday afternoon. The White House published the proclamation just before 5 p.m.

The move comes as the administration presses governments around the globe to strike new trade deals before a self-imposed deadline of July 9.

That’s when Trump’s staggering “liberation day” tariffs are set to kick in again, even as the U.S. International Trade Court ruled them unlawful. A federal appeals court restored Trump’s ability to impose them while the case proceeds.

The court order only applies to Trump’s tariffs triggered under a national emergency law, and not to tariffs imposed on national security grounds to protect certain industries — meaning the increase on steel and aluminum could go forth regardless.

Trump’s back-and-forth tariffs have been seen by some allies as strong-arming. Major trading partners including Canada and the European Union expressed disapproval of the significant price hike for U.S. companies that buy steel and aluminum imports from their producers.

The U.S. is the world’s largest steel importer with the bulk coming from Canada, according to figures from the U.S. International Trade Administration. The U.S. imported 26.2 million metric tons of steel in 2024 from 79 countries and territories, according to the administration.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke Friday to government officials from across the country about plans to “supercharge” Canada’s economy and shield against economic fallout from U.S. tariff rates.

Canada’s steel manufacturers warned Saturday that Trump’s tariff increase will cause “unrecoverable consequences” for the industry and urged retaliatory measures, according to a statement from the Canadian Steel Producers Association.

The EU told several media outlets Saturday the bloc is planning “countermeasures” on U.S. goods by mid-July if a trade agreement cannot be reached.

The EU and Canada threatened countermeasures in mid-March after Trump hiked import taxes on steel and aluminum to 25%. 

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