President Trump announced Friday that he would double tariffs on imported steel to 50% following a pair of court rulings that left many of his signature duties in limbo.
“At 25%, they can sort of get over that fence. At 50%, they can no longer get over the fence,” Trump told US Steel employees at a rally in West Mifflin, Pa.
“Pittsburgh will very soon be respected around the world as the Steel City again,” Trump told the crowd.
“We don’t want America’s future to be built with shoddy steel from Shanghai, we want it built with the strength and the pride of Pittsburgh.”
The president made the visit to tout a deal in which Japan’s Nippon Steel invested $14 billion in the famous company rather than buying it outright, a prospect which was long a political controversy.
The precise terms of the deal are murky, but it’s been described in broad sweeps as a compromise that keeps the corporate entity with an American-majority board and a US government veto over decisions.
“This is an incredible deal for American steel workers, and it includes vital protections to ensure that all steel workers will keep their jobs and all facilities in the United States will remain open and thriving,” Trump said.
“For decades, you watched as one globalist politician after the next sold you out and sent your dreams to China and to many other foreign countries. But now you finally have a president who’s working for you and fighting for you.”
Trump won the Nov. 5 election in part by carrying Pennsylvania and other swing states and promised to look out for the steel industry’s workers.
He previously tightened his first-term 25% tariffs on steel imports — in February scrapping exceptions for top importers such as Canada, Mexico and Brazil.
Trump has aggressively used tariffs at the start of his second term with dual goals of protecting US manufacturing and re-balancing trade deficits.
In a dramatic development, the Manhattan-based US Court of International Trade on Wednesday night paused Trump’s tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico and his new 10% baseline on most other countries (roughly triple the prior rate), and ruled against his looming “reciprocal” tariffs, which Trump had put on hold to allow for trade negotiations.
That court found that Trump exceeded his authority by invoking a national emergency under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act — with Trump using that law to levy tariffs by citing the flow of illicit fentanyl, illegal immigration and trade imbalances.
The surprise ruling was stayed pending appeal on Thursday by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, meaning Trump’s tariffs remain in effect while the case proceeds.
Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum and his 25% tariff on foreign-made cars were not impacted by that court battle because they were underpinned by different legal authorities.
