Trump announces plans to double steel tariffs on imports from 25% to 50%

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced plans to double tariffs on foreign steel imports, raising the rate from 25 per cent to 50 per cent in a move aimed at boosting the US steel industry.

Speaking at US Steel’s Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant in Pennsylvania, Trump said the hike would further protect domestic steel producers and strengthen American manufacturing.

“We are going to be imposing a 25% increase. We’re going to bring it from 25% to 50% the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States,” Trump was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.

The proposed tariff hike, if implemented, could raise costs for industries that rely heavily on steel, including housing, automotive, and construction sectors.

The announcement comes amid Trump’s ongoing calls for stronger trade protections. Since he first imposed tariffs on steel in 2018, prices for steel products have risen nearly 16 per cent, according to government data.