United States: 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum: Trump signs the decree, which takes effect Wednesday

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday raising tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50% , two sectors considered strategic and which the White House president wants to protect. The order specifies that the new surcharge will take effect Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. local time, or 6:01 a.m. French time.

"I have determined that it is necessary to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum to adjust imports (...) to ensure that they do not jeopardize national security," the decree states. According to the US president, "these new tariffs will be more effective in combating the excess of cheap production from foreign countries that is undermining the competitiveness of the US steel and aluminum industries."

The European Commission regrets

"Even though the customs duties imposed so far have provided essential support to prices on the American market, they have not allowed these industries to develop and maintain a rate of utilization of production capacities that is sufficient for their sustainability and in view of the needs of national defense," the text of the decree also justified.

The 25% surcharge on US steel and aluminum imports came into effect in mid-March. This was one of the first decisions on the matter by Donald Trump since returning to the White House.

The American president took advantage of a visit to a steelworks in Pennsylvania (east) on Friday to announce the doubling of customs duties on these metals, assuring that "our steel and aluminum industries will be stronger than ever." The European Commission reacted on Saturday , "strongly" regretting these new taxes which "undermine the ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution" with the United States.

The United States imported about half of the steel and aluminum used in the country in 2024.