Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to the US are to double from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday June 4 2025.
The announcement was made by President Donald Trump during a speech at U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant near Pittsburgh PA on May 30 2025 and later confirmed in a Truth Social post.
President Trump has stated the move will ‘even further secure the steel industry in the US’.
He also referred to a developing agreement involving Japan’s Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel, which will involve significant investment and keep U.S. Steel headquartered in Pittsburgh.
The deal remains under review.
The European Commission has expressed strong opposition to the latest tariff announcement and has stated it is preparing countermeasures.
Supply chains
The Commission says the move ‘undermines ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution’ and ‘adds further uncertainty to the global economy’.
The tariff increase has also been criticised by Canada’s Chamber of Commerce and officials from Australia. They cite its potential effects on cross-border supply chains and economic relations.
Following the announcement, US steelmaker stocks, including Cleveland-Cliffs and Nucor, have risen.
The United States is the world’s largest steel importer (excluding the EU), importing 26.2 million tons in 2024, according to the US Department of Commerce.
The majority of the steel is imported from Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea.
A few days’ ago, an appeals court put a temporary hold on a ruling by the US Court of International Trade that voided the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
