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President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Monday by implementing 25% of rates to all imports of steel and aluminum in the United States
The orders return the steel rates to the level Trump settled during the first term while increasing the existing aluminum rates that he promulgated in 2018. He also eliminates all exemptions and exclusions of production.
“It is 25% without exceptions or exemptions, and this is all countries, it does not matter where it comes from,” Trump told journalists during an executive orders signing ceremony at the White House.
Steel and aluminum imports have been a common fare target in the last presidential administrations. Trump instituted import rights in various categories of steel and aluminum products during his first term, and President Joe Biden supported the actions during his own.
The United States imported more than 26 million metric tons of steel products in 2024, according to the United States Census Office, including just over 9.1 million tonnes of Canada and Mexico Combined. Brazil, South Korea and Vietnam also featured a large part of steel imports, according to American Iron and Steel Institute.
In the meantime, more than 5 million metric tons of aluminum in the United States were imported in 2024, with more than half from Canada only according to the International Commerce Administration.
The new features of steel and aluminum imports could be a tension in the manufacture of the United States, especially in the automotive sector of the United States.
“The United States Automobile Industry employs more than one million people and the sector depends on imported steel and aluminum, which means that there will be real consequences if the proposed rate is promulgated,” The UST firm, told the supply chain supply chain before Monday.
However, before Trump’s command on Monday, the American Iron and Steel Institute expressed its support for new steel functions.
“We hope to work closely with the President and his administration to implement a robust and reinvigorated trade agenda to address the many foreign market distribution policies and practices that create a playground without leaving the American steel manufacturers,” Kevin Demsey , President and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute, said in a statement by email.
In the meantime, after Monday, the International President of United SteelWorkers, David McCall, said that the organization was in favor of “efforts to contain the overall overload of steel, but warned against the imposition of rates on allies on allies. North -Americans, particularly in Canada.
“Canada is not the problem,” McCall said. “In fact, Canada has taken steps to coordinate its commercial policies with the United States to respond to unfair foreign trade and the application of rates through the board hurts workers on both sides of the border.”
The President had suggested the new steel and aluminum import functions on Sunday in a press session on the Air Force. He also said that the United States would announce “reciprocal” rates later this week.
On Monday, Trump again declared his intention to promulgate these reciprocal rates, which suggests that his administration will be set in semiconductors, cars and pharmaceuticals among the possible categories of products to receive tariff treatment.
“If they charge us, we charge them,” Trump said Monday. “If they are at the age of 25, we are at the age of 25. If they are at 10, we are at 10. And if they are much more than 25, this is too.”
