Trump to impose 25% tariff on all steel, aluminium imports in latest trade escalation

During his first term in office from 2016-2020, Trump had imposed a 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminum.

February 10, 2025 05:12 AM IST

2 min read

Trump said the United States trade surplus with Australia was one of the reasons he was considering an exemption from the tariffs. (AP photo)

In another trade escalation, US President Donald Trump has said that he will announce 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into the US on Monday, which would come as an additional metal duties apart from the existing tariffs.

Announcing another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul while aboard the Air Force One on Sunday on his way to the NFL Super Bowl in New Orleans, Trump said that he will also announce reciprocal tariffs on Tuesday which would come into effect immediately.

However, the Republican president didn’t clarify which countries would be targeted with the reciprocal tariffs. On the reciprocal tariff plan, Trump said “And very simply, it’s, if they charge us, we charge them.”

During his first term in office from 2016-2020, Trump had imposed a 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminium, but later gave duty-free quotas to multiple trading partners, including Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

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The steel mill capacity utilization for the United States has dropped in recent years and former President Donald Trump further continued the duty-free quotas announced by his predecessor to the UK, Japan and the European Union.

According to government and American Iron and Steel Institute data, the largest sources of steel imports for the US are Canada, Brazil and Mexico, followed by South Korea and Vietnam, Reuters reported.

Also Read | Proposed US tariffs by Trump on Canada to be paused for a month, announces Justin Trudeau

The trade tariffs announcement comes days after Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, however, reaching a deal and pausing the tariffs for 30 days.

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Both Canada and Mexico vowed to step-up border security to help halt the flow of fentanyl and clamp down on illegal migration.

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