The United States Department of Commerce has announced an expansion of tariffs on steel and aluminium, extending duties to more than 400 additional product categories. The move will affect a wide range of goods including wind turbines, mobile cranes, bulldozers, railcars, furniture, compressors, pumps, and certain automotive and electric vehicle components.
According to the announcement, 407 categories of “derivative” steel and aluminium products are now subject to a 50 percent tariff on their steel and aluminium content. The new tariffs take immediate effect.
The updated measures include imported parts for automotive exhaust systems and electrical steel used in electric vehicles—additions that some foreign automakers had previously urged the department to exclude, citing insufficient U.S. domestic production capacity to meet demand.
“Today’s action expands the reach of the steel and aluminum tariffs and shuts down avenues for circumvention – supporting the continued revitalisation of the American steel and aluminum industries,” stated Jeffrey Kessler, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security.
The expansion follows petitions from U.S. steelmakers, including Cleveland-Cliffs, seeking broader protection for steel and aluminium auto parts. While certain industries welcome the move, businesses across multiple sectors are already adjusting to higher costs. Home Depot recently announced plans to raise prices on some imported goods, and Procter & Gamble has indicated it will increase prices on roughly a quarter of its product portfolio.
The measure underscores the administration’s continued focus on strengthening domestic supply chains and addressing tariff exemptions that had previously allowed certain imports to bypass duties.
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