General
Monday Briefing
An announcement on tariffs by President Trump.
A steelworker at Steel Speed fabrication shop in Ontario. Credit…Ian Willms for The New York Times
Trump to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports
President Trump said that he would impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports as of today and that he would soon announce reciprocal tariffs on America’s trading partners. “Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them,” he said.
Trump has also said in recent days that he plans to impose tariffs on Europe, Taiwan and other trading partners, as well as on a variety of critical industries like copper, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.
Since taking office, Trump has imposed an additional 10 percent tariff on all products from China, and placed — and then delayed — sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico that would have brought U.S. tariff rates to a level not seen since the 1940s. In his first term, he also levied tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, some of which remain in place; it’s not clear if the new tariffs will be added to the old ones.
Context: The reciprocal tariffs would raise the levies the U.S. charges on certain imports to match what other countries charge on American products, and they could be used as a negotiation tool. But they would also violate U.S. commitments to the World Trade Organization.
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