Trump widens 50% steel and aluminium tariffs to 407 more products
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The news: US President Donald Trump widened steel and aluminium tariffs to include 407 additional product categories, stunning the logistics industry with little notice and no exemptions for goods in transit.
The new levies, which took effect Monday, impose a 50% duty on consumer items that contain the metals, such as motorcycles, baby booster seats, tableware and personal care products, as well as industrial equipment including wind turbines, cranes, bulldozers, railcars, compressors, pumps and auto parts.
The numbers: Michigan State University’s Jason Miller estimated the tariffs now cover about USD320 to USD328 billion worth of imports, up from an estimated USD191 billion before this change, and about 6 times more than in 2018.
The context: Tariffs on steel and aluminium were first imposed by the Trump administration in 2018. In June this year, Trump doubled them to 50% and sought industry feedback on broadening their reach. At the end of July, his administration also imposed a 50% duty on semi-finished copper imports worth more than USD15 billion.
What they said: “Today’s action expands the reach of the steel and aluminum tariffs and shuts down avenues for circumvention – supporting the continued revitalization of the American steel and aluminum industries,” Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler said in a statement.
Importers and logistics firms warned the new compliance burden is significant.
The sources: Federal Register, Bloomberg, Reuters
