During the announcement, Trump said there would be no exemptions.
On Monday, President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum, the latest in a series of actions and threatened actions meant to rebalance American trade. The steel tariffs could impact American energy development, as oil companies often use special steel goods that are not manufactured in the United States.
When announcing the tariffs, Trump said there will be no exemptions, arguing the United States was “being pummeled by both friend and foe alike.”
While no country is receiving an exemption, the target of the new tariffs is China, the largest producer of steel in the world, which does not directly import steel to the United States but is often sold to a third country which then ships it to America.
During his first term, Trump imposed steel tariffs, a move his predecessor Joe Biden continued. Reports indicate previous tariffs resulted in American companies finding sources of steel outside of China. Officials for the current Trump administration say the new tariffs are “designed to eliminate loopholes and numerous exemptions that have led some importers to game the system.”
The European Union has threatened retaliatory tariffs, calling them “unlawful” and saying they will “disrupt the efficiency and integration of global markets.”
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also slammed the tariffs, which Trudeau called “entirely unjustified”, saying the Canadian government will work with the Trump administration “to highlight the negative impact” of the tariffs.
Before the blanket imposition of the tariffs, there were reports countries like Australia would receive an exemption after Trump spoke with Australian PM Anthony Albanese. Australian steel accounts for only 1% of American steel imports.
