Starting next month, the US will impose a 25% tariff on all imported steel and aluminum.
President Trump has announced sweeping tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, implementing a 25% duty on all such imports beginning next month.
This action follows warnings of retaliatory measures from Canada and Mexico, significant metal exporters to the US.
“This is a major step, the start of making America prosperous again,” Trump stated Monday evening, emphasizing that the tariffs, applying to all countries, will have “no exceptions or exemptions.”
The US is a leading importer of metals, sourcing primarily from Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, and Vietnam. In 2024, US iron and steel imports reached $32.99 billion, and aluminum imports totaled $28.31 billion, according to UN trade data.
During his first term, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel and 10% on aluminum, later granting tariff exemptions to key partners like Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.
As part of his broader economic protectionist strategy, the president previously levied 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada and 10% on those from China. These were later delayed 30 days after discussions with Mexican and Canadian leaders, who committed to border security improvements. Last week, the administration also suspended a key aspect of the China tariffs, temporarily maintaining duty-free status for small packages, following delivery disruptions caused by the tariffs.
On Monday, the European Commission declared it would respond to protect its interests against what it called “unlawful and economically counterproductive” tariffs on aluminum and steel.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot predicted retaliatory measures once the metal import tariffs take effect. He pointed to the 2018 response from Brussels, which included tariffs on US motorcycles, jeans, tobacco, corn, rice, orange juice, and bourbon, in response to similar tariff hikes.