MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump slaps 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports

“Any steel coming into the United States is going to have to have a 25% tariff. Aluminum as well. 25% for both,” Trump explained

US President Donald Trump announced this weekend that 25% tariffs would be applied to all steel and aluminum imports effective immediately. “Any steel coming into the United States is going to have to have a 25% tariff. Also aluminum. 25% for both,” Trump said aboard Air Force

One on his way to the Super Bowl in New Orleans. “It's very simple. If they charge us, we charge them,” he went on. “If they're charging us 130% and we're charging them nothing, that's not the way it's going to work.”

Trump also made it clear that the measure was valid “on all countries.” In addition, Trump announced that he could tax the import of semiconductor chips, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas and that there would be reciprocal tariffs starting next week for countries that announced tariff increases for the United States in retaliation for those increased by Washington.

On Feb. 1, Trump announced tariffs of 10% on products from China and also tariffs of 25% for Canada and Mexico, although he later hit pause on the latter as far-reaching bilateral agreements were negotiated.

The Republican leader also said further details were to be released Monday. During his first term (2017-2021), Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum but then granted duty-free quotas to several trading partners, including Brazil, Canada and Mexico.

Trump has already admitted he would “definitely” impose tariffs on European Union (EU) imports. “The EU treated us terribly,” Trump said. “They don't take our cars, they don't take our agricultural products, essentially they don't take almost anything, and we have a huge deficit with the EU. So we're going to do something very important with the EU, we're going to balance the scales,” he stressed.

Last week, Trump also admitted he was eyeing tariffs on several countries to match the rates applied to US exports. “Next week I will announce reciprocal tariffs so that we are treated on an equal footing with other countries,” he explained. “We don't want more and we don't want less. So I will announce that next week, along with a lot of other things.”