US President Donald Trump announced that on February 10 he would announce the introduction of duties of 25% on steel and aluminum, AP reports.
"For any steel imported into The United States will be subject to a 25 percent tariff," he said, adding that aluminum "too."
He specified that the tariffs would affect imports of metals from all countries, but did not specify from what date they would come into force.
Trump also confirmed that he will announce "reciprocal tariffs" on Tuesday or Wednesday. The point is that the United States will impose import duties on goods in cases where another country levies duties on American goods.
"If they charge us 130% and we charge them nothing, this cannot continue," he said.
In his first presidential term, Trump also resorted to duties on metals. In 2018, he imposed 25 percent duties on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports from all countries except Canada and Mexico. Then the duties were introduced for them, but in 2019 they were canceled.
In 2018, Trump noted that the American industry "has been devastated by the aggressive" ways of conducting foreign trade practiced by other countries. As an example, he cited the data of businessman Elon Musk, who is now his closest associate, according to which the import of American cars to China was subject to a 25 percent duty, and the import of Chinese cars to the United States was 2.5 percent.
In the same year, Trump tightened measures against Turkish steel and aluminum, doubling duties, due to "bad" relations with Ankara. The deterioration occurred against the background of the detention of some employees of the American diplomatic mission.
In 2021, under former President Joe Biden, the EU and the US settled the issue of duties. However, in 2024, his administration also resorted to imposing duties: on steel not smelted or cast in A tariff of 25% was set for Mexico, and 10% for aluminum.