Trump cuts US duty rates on steel, aluminum and copper derivative products

Source: Reuters

April 2, 2026 3:28 PM EDT Updated 10 hours ago


WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump adjusted his national security ​tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper imports on Thursday to cut duty rates on derivative products ‌made with the metals, simplify compliance and avoid under-reporting of import values.

In a proclamation signed by Trump, the United States will maintain a 50% import tariff on steel, aluminum and copper commodity imports under Section 232 of the Trade Act of 1974, but ​apply the rate to the prices paid by U.S. customers, according to a White House announcement and a senior ​Trump administration official. It was not immediately clear how the sales price and resulting tariff ⁠would be determined.

The official said some importers had been claiming artificially reduced import values to reduce their tariff ​costs. Other changes announced by the Trump administration official include:

The U.S. will eliminate the prior 50% duty on derivative ​products made with steel, aluminum and copper if the product's content of the metals is below 15% by weight. The official said this would eliminate the Section 232 duties from products with minimal metals content such as a perfume bottle with an aluminum cap, ​or a dental floss container with a tiny steel cutting blade.