PENNSYLVANIA – US President Donald Trump has announced a plan to double tariffs on imported steel and aluminium from 25% to 50%, starting Wednesday (3/6).

Speaking at a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as quoted by the BBC (31/5), Trump said the move would help boost the domestic steel industry and national supply, while also reducing reliance on imports from China.

A total of USD 14 billion, he added, would be invested in steel production in the region through a partnership between US Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel.

However, details regarding the partnership remain unclear, and neither company has confirmed any agreement. The announcement marks the latest move in Trump’s erratic approach to tariffs—now mockingly dubbed “TACO” (Trump Always Chicken Out)—since returning to office in January.

“There will be no layoffs and no outsourcing whatsoever, and every American steelworker will immediately receive a USD 5,000 bonus, which they rightfully deserve,” Trump declared to a crowd filled with steelworkers, drawing loud applause.

One major concern among steelworkers regarding the US-Japan trade deal is how Japan will honour union contracts that govern wages and hiring.

Trump opened his remarks by claiming he had saved US Steel—the largest steel producer in the US, based in Pittsburgh—by imposing 25% tariffs on steel during his first term in 2018.

He promoted the increase to 50% as a way to ensure the survival of US Steel. “With a 50% tariff, they won’t be able to jump the fence anymore,” he said. “We’re going to make Pennsylvania steel the backbone of America again, like never before.”

The US steel manufacturing sector has declined in recent years, while China, India, and Japan continue to dominate as the world’s largest steel producers. Roughly one-quarter of all steel used in the US is imported, and the country’s dependence on steel from Mexico and Canada has angered Trump.

The announcement comes amid ongoing legal battles over the legality of several global tariffs imposed by Trump, which have now been permitted to proceed by the Court of Appeals after the Court of International Trade previously ordered Trump to halt the increases. However, Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminium are not included in that lawsuit. (DH/ZH)