AFP
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday increasing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50% , deeming them strategic sectors.
Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has imposed widespread tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, measures that have shaken the trade order and roiled financial markets.
It has also imposed customs tariffs of 25% on specific products such as steel, aluminum , and automobiles.
In 2024, the United States imported about half of the steel and aluminum used in the country.
Canada is its main supplier of steel, followed by Brazil and Mexico, with products destined for other industries such as automotive and construction. And Argentina is the sixth largest supplier of aluminum.
The decree specifies that the new customs tariffs will come into effect on Wednesday at 00:01 local time (04:01 GMT).
The goal is to "combat countries that continue to dump surplus steel and aluminum at low prices in the United States," the text reads.
"Increasing tariffs will provide greater support to these industries and reduce or eliminate the threat to national security posed by imports of steel, aluminum and their derivatives," he adds.
Trump announced his decision last week during a visit to a US Steel plant in Pennsylvania, a northeastern state that is the cradle of the national steel industry.
"No one will be able to steal their industry," he declared at the time.
Canada filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) on March 13 against the first wave of tariffs on steel and aluminum .
The country argued that these measures are "incompatible with the United States" in international trade, according to the WTO.
Photo: External source.
