Trump orders 50% tariff on some copper imports, citing national security

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation ordering 50 per cent tariffs on certain copper imports, citing national security, the White House said.

The proclamation imposes a 50 per cent tariff on semi-finished copper products and copper-intensive derivative products as of Aug. 1, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.

The tariffs will exclude copper scrap and copper input materials such as copper ores, concentrates, mattes, cathodes and anodes, the statement said.

The measure came after a U.S. investigation under Section 232 that Trump ordered in February.

That section of U.S. trade law allows the president to impose levies on certain goods that are said to threaten “national security.”

Along with tariffs, the order calls for steps to support the domestic copper industry, including requiring 25 per cent of high-quality scrap produced in the U.S. to also be sold within the country.