US President Donald Trump doubled the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50% by signing an order. This move follows his pledge to boost US import taxes to help national manufacturers, and it increases import taxes on metals, particularly those used in cars, as well as canned food. Trump cast the latest development as necessary to secure the future of the American steel industry and to protect national security.
The president signed the order on Tuesday, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Washington time on Wednesday. According to the previous charge, the order had not yet enabled local industries to develop and maintain the rates of capacity production and consumption that are essential for the sustained health of industries and estimated national defense needs.
The White House posted the directive on X, which states that surging the previously announced tariffs will provide exceptional support to domestic industries and cut or eliminate the national security threat posed by imports of aluminum and steel articles and their derivatives.
President Trump just signed a proclamation raising tariffs on steel and aluminum imports by 50% to protect U.S. steel and national security.🇺🇸
THE GOLDEN AGE IS HERE! pic.twitter.com/TP32u0M4dR
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 3, 2025
On the other hand, critics argue that the protections would cause havoc for steel manufacturers outside the United States, trigger retaliation from trade partners, and come at a prohibitively high cost for American users of the metals. Hours before the announcement of the tariffs, several affected companies could hardly believe that the plan was going forward, hoping it would prove temporary or be some sort of negotiating tactic.
Which country is the biggest importer of steel?
Trump’s ability to impose tariffs independently also rests on a weaker legal footing after a federal court last week struck down several of his other actions taken under an emergency law. The president’s duties regarding metals were not subject to that ruling, and he has sought to demonstrate that he remains undeterred in forcing nations to make offers at the dialogue table.
According to the United States government, it is the world’s largest importer of steel, second only to the European Union, importing the majority of the metal from Mexico, South Korea, Brazil, and Canada. During his previous term, Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on aluminum and 25 percent tariffs on steel, taking advantage of a law that gives him the authority to safeguard industries considered vital to national security.
Many imports ultimately avoided the tariffs after the United States negotiated trade agreements with allied nations and granted exclusions for certain imports at the request of various firms. At the US Steel factory during a Friday rally, Trump said that he wanted to impose tariffs so high that American businesses would have no choice but to source from US suppliers.
He added that no one is going to achieve a 50 percent rate, which means no one will be able to steal your industry. Furthermore, he stated that at present, it’s a 25 percent threshold, and anyone can get over that fence, but at 50 percent, they can no longer get over the wall.
Reaction to Trump Steel Announcement in Europe and the UK
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, as of May, the rate of raw steel production and its imports in the United States had changed little since 2024, before Trump raised tariffs. However, steel imports in the country plunged 17 percent in April compared to March. Consequently, businesses selling metals in the United States indicated they anticipated Trump’s latest announcement would result in an even more significant decline.
Trump’s March move had already prompted the European Union and Canada to prepare retaliatory tariffs on their American products. Trump’s recent action placed renewed pressure on the UK government to finalize the trade deal in progress with the US, which was expected to offer some protection against the March metal tariffs.
