U.S. President Donald Trump declared on May 30, 2025, that tariffs on imported steel and aluminum will double from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday.
Speaking at a rally near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Trump emphasized the policy’s role in protecting American jobs.
“We are going to be imposing a 25% increase. We're going to bring it from 25% to 50% - the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States,” he said at U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works.
The announcement coincided with Trump’s promotion of a $14.9 billion agreement between U.S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel, which he claimed would safeguard domestic jobs.
“There will be no layoffs and no outsourcing whatsoever, and every US steelworker will soon receive a well deserved $5,000 bonus,” Trump told the crowd.
JoJo Burgess, a United Steelworkers union member and mayor of Washington, Pennsylvania, expressed cautious optimism, stating, “I'm never going to disagree with something that's going to level the playing field for American manufacturing.”
The tariff hike has drawn sharp criticism from international partners.
Canada’s Chamber of Commerce, through President Candace Laing, called the move “antithetical to North American economic security,” warning of disrupted cross-border supply chains.
Australia’s Trade Minister Don Farrell condemned the tariffs as “unjustified and not the act of a friend,” adding, “They are an act of economic self-harm that will only hurt consumers and businesses who rely on free and fair trade.”
The U.S., the world’s largest steel importer with 26.2 million tons in 2024, faces potential price increases across industries due to the tariffs, which cover raw metals and products like stainless steel sinks and aluminum frying pans.
The policy, enacted under Section 232 national security authority, intensifies Trump’s trade war, particularly with China, which he accused of violating a recent tariff rollback agreement.
Shares of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc surged 26% post-announcement, signaling investor confidence in domestic steelmakers.