Raw material New tariffs? Trump takes aim at the copper industry
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has been instructed by President Donald Trump to examine whether measures are needed to protect the domestic copper industry. Trump signed an order to this effect in the White House.
25.02.2025, 23:59
SDA
As a result of the investigation, tariffs could be imposed on imports of the raw material into the USA at a later date. "American industries depend on copper, and it should be produced in America without exception," Lutnick explained in a statement.
Trump's advisor for trade and industry, Peter Navarro, sharply criticized China in particular in this context. The People's Republic has "long used industrial overcapacity and dumping as an economic weapon to dominate global markets" - including in the copper sector, according to Navarro.
Outcome still open
The raw material is essential for the electronics and construction industries and also plays an important role for the US military and high-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI).
According to high-ranking government representatives, this is an open-ended investigation. Specific information about the amount of any tariffs or their timing has not been disclosed. "It would be premature to speculate on the amount of possible tariffs when the outcome of the investigation is still open," explained one representative.
