US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that tariffs on imported steel and aluminum will be doubled to 50%, escalating his protectionist trade agenda aimed at reviving domestic manufacturing. The new rates will take effect from Wednesday, June 4.
Speaking at a US Steel plant in Pennsylvania—a key swing state—Trump told workers, “We’re going to bring it from 25% to 50%, the tariffs on steel into the United States of America… Nobody’s going to get around that.”
He later confirmed on Truth Social that aluminum imports will also be subjected to the 50% tariff hike.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has reignited trade tensions with sweeping tariffs on allies and rivals, arguing that such measures are necessary to shield American industry. He credited his previous tariff policies with saving facilities like the Mon Valley Works-Irvin plant, where he spoke Friday.
Nippon Deal in Focus
Trump also addressed the controversial proposed partnership between US Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel, saying the company “will continue to be controlled by the USA,” and assured there would be no layoffs or outsourcing of jobs.
Despite touting the deal’s potential—$2.2 billion in new investments in the Mon Valley plant and $7 billion toward modernizing steel mills and mining facilities in Indiana and Minnesota—Trump admitted he hadn’t approved the final agreement yet.
“I have to approve the final deal with Nippon, and we haven’t seen that final deal yet, but they’ve made a very big commitment,” he said upon returning to Washington.
Earlier, the $14.9 billion acquisition of US Steel by Nippon Steel had faced bipartisan opposition and was blocked by then-President Joe Biden on national security grounds.
Union Reacts Cautiously
The United Steelworkers union (USW), which represents thousands of US Steel employees, criticized the lack of consultation and said they weren’t involved in any discussions related to the partnership.
“We cannot speculate about the meaning of the ‘planned partnership,’” said USW President David McCall. “Our primary concern remains with the impact that this merger of US Steel into a foreign competitor will have on national security, our members, and our communities… The devil is always in the details.”
Trump had previously opposed Nippon Steel’s takeover bid while campaigning, but now appears open to a revised investment-based arrangement, framing it as a win for American jobs and industrial revival.