US President Donald Trump has announced a steep increase in tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, raising duties from 25% to 50% starting Wednesday.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Trump said the measure is aimed at revitalising the domestic steel sector and reducing dependence on imports, particularly from China.

The announcement also came with claims of a $14 billion investment in American steel production through a reported partnership between US Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel. Details of the deal remain unclear, with neither company yet confirming the agreement.

“This move will protect American workers—no layoffs, no outsourcing,” Trump told cheering steelworkers, promising each a $5,000 bonus.

The former president, who re-entered office in January, has frequently used tariffs as a central tool of economic policy. He credited his earlier 25% tariffs, introduced in 2018, with rescuing US Steel.

Critics, however, warn that his tariff policies have strained global trade relations, particularly with China, the world’s top steel producer. Tensions escalated again Friday, as Trump accused China of breaching a recent trade truce—claims Beijing dismissed while urging Washington to end “discriminatory restrictions.”

Meanwhile, JoJo Burgess, a local union leader and mayor of nearby Washington, Pennsylvania, welcomed the new measures despite not being a Trump supporter. “Anything that strengthens American manufacturing is good for our workers,” he said.

Trump’s tariff move comes amid ongoing legal challenges, with an appeals court recently allowing lawsuits against his broader tariff agenda to proceed. However, steel and aluminium duties remain untouched by the litigation.

“Without steel, we don’t have a country,” Trump declared, reinforcing his message of economic nationalism.

Source: BBC

SMS/