President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will announce reciprocal tariffs this week, as well as A 25% general rate on steel and aluminum imports.
“Any steel that arrives in the United States will have a 25%rate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, adding that the same rate would apply to aluminum.
“Aluminum too,” Trump added, when a journalist asked him if he would also be subject to tariffs.
Trump said it is most likely to make a formal announcement on Tuesday or Wednesday about Reciprocal tariffs on “all countries”, while an announcement on steel rates would occur on Monday. The reciprocal tariffs would enter “almost immediately,” he said.
“Very simply is that if they charge us, we charge them,” he said.
Without appointing specific countries, he indicated that not all commercial partners would be affected if he is satisfied with the current arrangements with them.
“It will not affect everyone, because there are some in which we have similar rates, but those that are taking advantage of the United States, we will have a reciprocity,” Trump added later, referring to reciprocal tariffs.
The total impact of reciprocal tariffs is murky because individual countries have different import policies, which can also be complicated by their needs to meet other economic associations, such as the European Union. But tariffs could ultimately affect the main US business partners such as Canada, Mexico, China, EU and Japan.
Trump spoke with journalists on his flight on Air Force One to New Orleans, where he will see the Super Bowl.
Trump has often framed tariffs as they pay rates that other countries pay. However, rates are paid by importers, US companies that import from foreigners. Companies often transmit the highest costs for consumers for hiking prices.
United Steelworkers Union did not immediately respond to a request for comments. He previously asked Trump to leave his promise of 25% tariffs in Canada and Mexico.
“Remove key allies as Canada is not the way to follow,” said the international president of the union this month.
Last year, Canada was the largest source of imported steel in the United States, followed by Brazil, Mexico and South Korea, according to the Census Office.
The last round of rates is produced after Trump announced 25% tariffs in imports of Canada and Mexico, two American allies and closures, before deciding last Monday that tariffs would be delayed one month.
Also this month, Trump promulgated an additional 10% rate on China imports, which led China to implement retaliation rates.
