Headline Roundup • June 4th, 2025
Trump Raises Steel and Aluminum Tariffs to 50%, Excludes UK
Trade,Tariffs,Donald Trump,United Kingdom,European Union,Economy And Jobs,Steel Tariffs,Aluminum Tariffs
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Donald Trump has increased tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%.
The Details: The tariffs went into effect on Wednesday, following Trump's announcement last week and his signing of an executive order on Tuesday. According to White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, the increase is intended to provide additional support to the US steel and aluminum industries after the initial 25% tariff proved beneficial but insufficient. The tariff applies to almost all trading partners, with the UK being the only exception due to a preliminary trade agreement with the US. UK steel and aluminum imports will continue to face a 25% tariff until at least July 9.
For Context: The US relies heavily on imports for steel and aluminum, with about a quarter of all steel and half of all aluminum used in the US being imported. The increased tariffs will particularly affect strong US trading partners like Canada and Mexico.
How The Media Covered It: CNBC (Lean Left bias) focused on the European Union (EU) and UK's reaction to the tariffs, citing an EU spokesperson who said the EU was “prepared to impose countermeasures.” The New York Times (Lean Left) noted, “Kevin Dempsey, the president of the American Iron and Steel Institute, an industry group, praised the move…But companies that use steel and aluminum to make their products criticized the tariffs, saying they would add costs for American consumers.” Fox Business (Lean Right) focused primarily on the perspective of the Trump administration, but also quoted the reactions of officials in Mexico and Japan.
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Featured Coverage of this Story
President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50% on Tuesday, June 3, through a presidential proclamation that cited national security risks and the need to counter foreign oversupply. The White House said the move aims to protect U.S. manufacturers from trade practices it says weaken domestic production and threaten defense readiness.
Trump initially imposed 25% tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act in 2018, after the Commerce Department found that excessive metal imports posed a threat to national security.
A February 2025 review by the department concluded that the initial tariffs...
Patrick Junker for The New York Times
U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports doubled on Wednesday, as President Trump continued to ratchet up levies on foreign metals that he claims will help revitalize American steel mills and aluminum smelters.
The White House called the increased tariffs, which rose to 50 percent from 25 percent just after midnight Eastern time, a matter of addressing “trade practices that undermine national security.” They were announced during Mr. Trump’s visit to a U.S. Steel mill last week, and appear to be aimed at currying favor with steelworkers and the steel industry, including...
U.S. President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on most imported steel and aluminum went into effect on Wednesday, the same day as his deadline for trading partners to give their "best offer" in bids to avoid import tax rates on other goods from taking effect next month.
Late on Tuesday, Trump signed an executive proclamation to implement, starting Wednesday, his announcement last week to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that had been in place since March from 25% to 50%. The new tax went into effect at 12:01 a.m.
"We started...
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