Trump Signs Executive Order Adjusting Tariffs on Aluminum, Steel and Copper
On Monday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order amending the tariffs imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 on certain imports of aluminum, steel and copper, the White House press office announced.
According to a White House fact sheet, the order adjusts tariffs on agricultural machinery, including combine harvesters and reapers, as well as some other equipment, from 25 percent to 15 percent.
The order also expands the existing category of industrial equipment subject to a 15 percent tariff to include mobile industrial machinery such as bulldozers and forklifts.
It lowers the threshold for imported goods to be considered “wholly” made from US aluminum, steel or copper from 95 percent to 85 percent, easing the requirement set in the April 2 executive order on steel, aluminum and copper tariffs.
The order also encourages foreign companies to use more American steel and aluminum by allowing them to qualify for a 10 percent duty rate if their capital equipment contains at least 85 percent by weight of US melted and poured or melted and cast steel or aluminum.
The adjustments will take effect on June 8 and remain in force until December 31, 2027, the White House press office said.
In 2018, during his first term, Trump applied Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. After returning to the White House in 2025, he revised the steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the previous US administration and introduced tariffs on copper.
