Trump says he plans to double steel, aluminum tariffs to 50%

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — President Donald Trump said Friday that he would double the tariffs he had levied on foreign steel and aluminum to 50%, a move that he claimed would further protect the industry.

The announcement came as Trump traveled to a U.S. Steel factory outside Pittsburgh to hail a “planned partnership” that he helped broker between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel — a corporate merger that he opposed last year as a presidential candidate. The details of the U.S. Steel deal are still murky.

Speaking to a crowd of steelworkers, Trump claimed that foreign countries had been able to circumvent the 25% tariff he put in place this year.

It is not clear how much doubling the tariff rate would actually bolster the domestic steel sector. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the tariffs would take effect on June 4 and that they would provide a “big jolt” to industry workers.

A court ruled Wednesday that Trump’s taxes on imports from China, Canada, Mexico and other nations were unlawful, although an appeals court paused that decision. The levies on steel, aluminum and cars were issued through a separate law pertaining to national security, so they are not affected by those court cases.

Nippon Steel, a Japanese company, had been interested in acquiring U.S. Steel in part to gain greater access to the American market.

On Friday, Trump reassured employees of U.S. Steel that they would “continue to be controlled by the USA.” He did not provide details about whether Nippon will acquire the American steelmaker, as it originally proposed, or if a deal may take another form.

His appearance in Pennsylvania was the latest twist in a two-year saga about the fate of U.S. Steel, an iconic American company. During the campaign last year, Trump, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris all expressed opposition to U.S. Steel’s being sold to a foreign company.