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Trump Recasts Metal Tariffs With 50% Base, Targeted Exemptions and Cuts

The move targets undervaluation by importers.

Overview

  • President Trump signed a proclamation that keeps the 50% national‑security tariff on steel, aluminum and copper but applies it to prices paid by U.S. customers.
  • Officials have not explained how customs will determine the customer price, which leaves importers unsure how much duty they will owe.
  • Items with less than 15% metal content by weight will be exempt, covering low‑metal consumer goods such as perfume bottles with aluminum caps and floss containers with small steel cutters.
  • Tariffs on selected industrial machinery and electric‑grid equipment will drop to 15% through 2027 to help speed factory and grid expansion.
  • Steelmakers had urged relief on machinery sourced from Germany and Italy, and the White House said the broader plan also addresses importers that declared artificially low values to cut duties.