Trump will impose a 50% tariff on copper imports starting August 1.

US President Donald Trump confirmed this Wednesday the imposition of a 50 percent tariff on copper imports , effective August 1, in a measure he justified by its importance to the Department of Defense and which he defended because it will "reverse" the actions of his predecessors, citing Joe Biden, who "decimated this industry."

"I am announcing a 50 percent tariff on copper, effective August 1, 2025, after receiving a strong national security assessment," he posted on his Truth Social account, in a message in which he highlighted that this material is the "second most used" by the Pentagon.

" Copper is needed for semiconductors, aircraft, ships, ammunition, data centers, lithium-ion batteries, radar systems, missile defense systems, and even hypersonic weapons, many of which we are building," he added.

The White House tenant also wondered, "Why did our foolish (and happy!) 'leaders' decimate this important industry?" and asserted that the measure "will reverse the thoughtless behavior and stupidity of the Biden Administration."

"America will once again build a dominant copper industry. After all, this is our golden age!" he concluded.

The US president has thus set a date for an announcement he made the day before, which boosted the metal's market price by up to 17 percent, although he later moderated his gain to 10 percent around 8:30 p.m. Spanish time.

The levy is the latest in a series of Washington tariffs aimed at promoting mining and metal processing in the country, including steel and aluminum, in addition to the country-specific tariffs that will also take effect on August 1.

Since February, when Trump first outlined plans for the tariffs, global traders have shipped record volumes of the metal to the United States, aiming to make huge profits on shipments delivered before the tariffs take effect, according to Bloomberg.