President Trump moved Monday to adjust tariffs on certain aluminum, copper and steel-related imports, lowering duties on several products used by American industries while maintaining broader protections aimed at supporting domestic manufacturing.
In a new proclamation, Trump reduced tariffs on some aluminum and steel derivative products from 25 percent to 15 percent. The change applies to a range of items, including agricultural equipment as well as certain heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
The move marks a modification of tariffs the president originally imposed on April 2 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. That law gives presidents the authority to restrict imports on national security grounds, a power Trump has relied upon repeatedly in efforts to bolster domestic industrial production.
According to the proclamation, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recommended the tariff adjustment after identifying what the administration described as “recent circumstances” affecting industries that depend on the covered equipment.
The administration argued that the products play an important role in the nation’s economic activity and industrial output. The proclamation specifically highlighted the importance of agricultural equipment for food production, construction equipment for ongoing reindustrialization efforts, and material-handling equipment for factory operations and industrial logistics.
“These products also serve an important role in productive domestic economic activity,” the proclamation states.
While lowering tariffs on some products, the administration made clear that other derivative metal products would continue to face the full 25 percent duty. Aluminum lithographic plates and steel racks remain subject to the higher rate.
Trump said maintaining those tariffs is necessary to prevent businesses from using derivative products to bypass existing trade restrictions on metal imports.
“Will ensure that the tariffs on metal products are not circumvented,” the proclamation states.
The order also includes provisions designed to encourage the use of American-produced metal. Under the new rules, companies located in certain foreign countries may qualify for a reduced 10 percent tariff rate if their products are composed entirely of aluminum or steel that was melted and poured in the United States.
The countries eligible under that provision include Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Japan, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Meanwhile, products imported from Canada and Mexico that qualify for preferential treatment under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement will continue to face tariffs, but only on their non-U.S. content.
The proclamation defines “non-U.S. content” as the value of a product that is not attributable to parts produced in the United States. Under that framework, only the foreign-made portion of qualifying goods would be subject to the 25 percent tariff.
The latest action continues a trade policy approach Trump first implemented during his first term. In 2018, he imposed Section 232 tariffs on imported aluminum and steel, arguing that domestic production capacity was vital to national security and economic strength.
The proclamation also comes amid continuing legal and political battles over tariff authority. Earlier this year, Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a broad 10 percent tariff on nearly all imports after the Supreme Court struck down his emergency tariffs.
That effort has faced legal challenges of its own. Last month, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled against the administration’s global tariff policy, concluding that Section 122 had been improperly used to impose the sweeping import taxes.
Monday’s tariff adjustment reflects an effort to balance protection of domestic industries with the practical needs of sectors that rely on specialized equipment. While trade restrictions remain a central part of the administration’s economic strategy, the changes suggest a willingness to ease costs for industries viewed as critical to American production and manufacturing.
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