Trump announces 50% steel tariffs increase, effective June 4, 2025
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he would double tariffs on steel imports to the United States, increasing them from 25% to 50%.
This announcement was made during a speech at U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. The increase is set to take effect on June 4, 2025.
“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 the rally in Pennsylvania.
He emphasized the importance of a strong steel industry for national security. The announcement was made in conjunction with a discussion of a planned partnership between U.S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel, which involves a $14 billion investment.
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The move to double steel tariffs is expected to put further pressure on global steel producers and could deepen existing trade tensions. Steel prices in the U.S. are already significantly higher than in Europe or China. The increase could potentially lead to higher prices for goods that utilize steel, such as housing and automobiles.
Trump’s tariff policies have faced legal challenges, with a federal appeals court temporarily reinstating some of his global tariffs. The steel tariffs, however, are justified under separate national security laws and are not directly affected by these rulings. The United Steelworkers union has expressed concerns about the merger of U.S. Steel with Nippon Steel, particularly regarding its impact on national security and union members.
