Trump to Double US Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum to 50%, Citing Industry Protection

By Staff, Agencies

President Donald Trump announced Friday that the US will double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50% starting Wednesday, June 4.

Speaking at a US Steel plant in Pennsylvania, Trump emphasized that the hike from the current 25% rate is aimed at safeguarding American manufacturing and preventing trade circumvention.

“No one’s going to get around that,” Trump told workers, highlighting the importance of tariffs in reviving US industry, especially in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, which played a pivotal role in his election victory.

Shortly after the speech, Trump posted on Truth Social confirming that aluminum would also be subject to the same increase. These announcements mark another escalation in Trump’s broader trade agenda, which includes imposing heavy tariffs on both allies and rivals, unsettling global markets and the international trade system.

While a federal court recently ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority with some tariffs, an appellate court has allowed the levies to remain in effect during ongoing legal proceedings.

Trump defended his trade measures, citing the survival of the steel facility where he was speaking as a direct result of his earlier tariffs. He also addressed the pending $14.9 billion partnership between US Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel. Although the deal has bipartisan critics and was previously blocked by former President Joe Biden on national security grounds, Trump signaled cautious openness, saying final approval still rests with him.

He assured workers that US Steel would remain under American control, with no job losses or outsourcing planned. The proposed partnership includes Nippon’s commitment to invest $2.2 billion in the Mon Valley Works-Irvin plant, along with $7 billion to modernize other steel mills and expand operations in states like Indiana and Minnesota.

Despite Trump’s assurances, the United Steelworkers union voiced concerns, stating it had not been consulted about the partnership and remains wary about the implications for national security and American jobs. Union President David McCall cautioned that “the devil is always in the details.”

Trump, who had previously opposed the Nippon deal while campaigning, now appears to support a restructured form of foreign investment that maintains domestic control and benefits US workers.