President Donald Trump is making another major move on trade, unveiling a new round of tariffs aimed at restoring America’s steel and aluminum industries. According to senior White House officials, Trump’s latest trade actions will target key downstream products and close loopholes that allowed foreign nations to undermine U.S. production.
“Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25% tariff,” he told reporters Sunday on Air Force One. When asked about aluminum, he responded, “aluminum, too” will be subject to the trade penalties. https://t.co/RjjTK0BVDU
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) February 10, 2025
Trump’s team argues that the Biden administration’s handling of the 2018 tariffs led to significant setbacks for domestic manufacturers. Officials claim Biden granted “hundreds of thousands of exemptions,” which allowed foreign competitors to flood the market and lower utilization rates, despite a temporary boost in domestic production. “The net result has been really very difficult times” for American steel and aluminum production, one official explained.
Now, Trump is expanding tariffs to include structural steel, pre-stressed concrete strand, and aluminum extrusions, while also eliminating the product exclusion process entirely. “President Trump’s bold action restores the strength of America’s steel and aluminum industries and puts an end to the rampant exploitation and circumvention that has hurt American workers,” a senior White House official stated.
The full implementation of these tariffs will take effect in early March, ensuring shipments already in transit won’t be affected. Trump’s approach to trade has remained firm, viewing tariffs as a necessary tool to protect American industries and workers. Just a week earlier, he imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to retaliate with new taxes on American energy products, rare earth minerals, and automobiles.
In addition to economic considerations, Trump’s tariff strategy appears to be influencing foreign policy. White House aides suggest he is considering imposing tariffs on Arab nations that reject his call to resettle Palestinian refugees amid ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz reinforced this approach, saying, “I think President Trump views tariffs as a key tool for our foreign policy.”
With steel and aluminum seen as vital pillars of America’s economic and national security, Trump’s new tariffs aim to reverse what his team calls the failures of Biden-era trade policies. His administration remains committed to strengthening American manufacturing and preventing foreign adversaries from undermining U.S. industry.
