11/2/2025–|Last update: 11/2/202511:17 PM (Mecca time)
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to impose new fees of 25% on US steel and aluminum imports, which are estimated at $ 50 billion in 2024, which is harmful to the economies of many countries that reap returns from their metal sales.
“This means that many companies will open in the United States,” Trump said during his signing of the procedures.
A US official said that these fees will enter into force on March 12, and while this step aims to enhance US local production, it carries effects on the broader economy, as the United States relies on imports to meet a large part of the demand for minerals in sectors such as construction Car manufacturing, mobilization of drinks and military equipment production, according to Bloomberg Agency in a report.
Trump had revealed 25% comprehensive customs definitions on imports from Canada and Mexico, before hanging them for a month, and then he went on to impose new fees by 10% on goods imported from China.
The recent plan is to review the customs definition system that was presented during the first Trump state, when steel and aluminum imports were subjected to new drawings after years of complaints from American companies and trade unions about external competition.
No exceptions
The US President said that the customs definitions will be applied to “everyone”, that is, all countries, and the fees will also cover the final metal products, an important step that will have large -scale price effects on American consumers.
The customs definitions imposed during the first presidential term Trump focused on the basic steel and aluminum products, while the recent customs tariffs will include products such as metal shapes, manufactured goods needed to build cars, window tires and skyscrapers among other things.
Why steel and aluminum?
During Trump’s first presidential campaign a decade ago, he criticized the decline in the performance of US steel factories and aluminum production centers after decades of decreased production and the decline in the number of employment amid China’s rise as a great manufacturing force in the world.
In 2018, during his first term at the White House, Trump imposed 25% customs definitions on steel imports and 10% on aluminum imports, and his goal was to enhance US product by making foreign materials more expensive for American buyers, but in the end many were exempted Among the main suppliers, including Canada, Mexico and the European Union, and today, American industries say they are still fighting to compete with imports, according to Bloomberg.
On a larger scale, commercial struggles in the global steel and aluminum sectors grew last year amid a renewed flow of products from China, prompting trade measures against Chinese imports from many places such as Vietnam, India and the European Union.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zy_c33kus4
The most affected countries
Pure imports of the United States constitute more than 80% of its aluminum requirements, and about 17% of its steel needs, according to the figures from the Morgan Stanley Foundation.
Aluminum
Canada bears the greatest burden of customs duties as the main supplier of all of its southern neighbor, and this is the list of the 10 largest exporters of aluminum for the United States by value from American imports, according to data of the US Department of Commerce reported by Bloomberg:
- Canada 9.5 billion dollars (58% of the total aluminum imports).
- UAE $ 1.1 billion (6% of total imports).
- Mexico 686.2 million dollars.
- South Korea 643.7 million dollars.
- China 507.8 million dollars.
- Bahrain 488.7 million dollars.
- Argentina 459.5 million dollars.
- South Africa 383.6 million dollars.
- Australia 273.3 million dollars.
- India 270.9 million dollars.
Steel
- Canada 11.2 billion dollars (23% of the total steel imports).
- Mexico is 6.5 billion dollars (16% of total imports).
- Brazil is $ 5.2 billion (12% of total imports).
- China 5.2 billion dollars.
- Taiwan $ 3.8 billion.
- South Korea $ 3.2 billion.
- Germany $ 2.9 billion.
- Japan $ 2.4 billion.
- India $ 1.9 billion.
- Vietnam $ 1.7 billion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azhujeargm8
What next?
While Trump developed the plan in general terms, in his first term and until now in his second term indicates that there is room for negotiation, and in the end, many countries or areas exported won exemptions from customs tariffs on the minerals that were launched in Trump’s first state, as it won Some oil companies as well, except.
This time, US officials said they were warning against giving any exceptions, but Trump indicated that he might consider granting Australia an exception, taking into account the import of Australia in the United States.
According to Bloomberg, it is not clear how the new customs tariffs will relate to steel and aluminum to the already in force trade measures, for example, it is not known whether the new customs tariffs on metals will be added to other fees, for example, 10% new comprehensive customs tariffs. On all Chinese goods and ancient customs tariffs by 25% imposed on Chinese steel.
Trump said he wanted to impose customs definitions on copper imports and their implementation will take a little longer than those imposed on aluminum and steel.
Previous experience
When the Trump administration revealed the customs duties on steel and aluminum, the goal was to increase self -sufficiency in the United States of these minerals, but in 2024, the American steel industry production was 1% less than it was in 2017, before the first round of Trump’s fees. Customs, and the aluminum industry produced about 10%less.
The increasing costs, especially for employment and energy, have been a key factor in the long -term decline in these industries, and Canada also plays a vital role in supplying aluminum to the United States because its factories often depend on cheap hydroeleturing energy, according to Bloomberg.
Economists warn that Trump’s customs duties risk raising the expenses of families in items, including grocery and gasoline, which may fuel the inflationary pressures that the president sought in his election campaign to calm down, and administration officials respond that the fees are part of a broader economic strategy, including tax cuts The extended and expand the production of local energy, which would help reduce the cost in general.
