The Global Response to US Steel and Aluminium Tariffs

March 12, 2025 TruthUSA

The European Union described the 25 percent steel and aluminium tariffs as ‘unjustified.’

New U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs took effect on March 12, galvanising countries around the world amid a swiftly intensifying trade war.

A 25 percent import tax on all steel and aluminium coming into the United States was initially announced by President Donald Trump a month ago, restoring a policy from his first term.

Exemptions for countries including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, the EU, and the UK, which were previously in place, have now been removed. Trump has said that these previous exemptions created loopholes that countries like China had taken advantage of.

The EU, calling the tariffs “unjustified,” immediately responded with tariffs on up to £22 billion worth of American goods, starting next month.

“The EU will protect its consumers and businesses,” the EU Commission said in a post on social media platform X.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the tariffs as disappointing.

“I’m disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminium. But we will take a pragmatic approach. We are, as he knows, negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed. But we will keep all options on the table.”

The United States is one of the UK’s biggest trading partners, trading a total estimated £115 billion in 2024.

Canada, the biggest steel and aluminium importer to the United States, promised £16 billion in tariffs in retaliation, Canada’s Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said on Wednesday.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s incoming replacement Mark Carney described the Trump tariffs as an “attack on Canadian workers, families, and businesses. ”

The stock market took a nosedive on March 10 following Trump’s threat to increase tariffs on Canadian aluminium and steel imports to 50 percent, in response to a threat by Ontario to slap a 25 percent surcharge on electricity to some U.S. neighbouring states or cut off their electricity entirely.

Tensions between the United States and Canada were alleviated following discussions, with both parties ultimately backing down.

Part of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign promise was to revive U.S. industries and stop what he sees as unfair trade practices by other countries.

Charging that they were not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl coming into the country from China, the president had initially targeted Canada and Mexico, charging them 25 percent on all imports, with 10 percent on Canadian energy products.

He has since backed down after receiving commitments from both countries to deal with the crisis.

The EU is also in the line of fire for having an unfair advantage over the United States, namely via value-added taxes. Trump has announced 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on all imports against the bloc.

Copper and lumber have also been spotlighted for potential tariffs, as the United States attempts to revive the industries, viewing their supply chain vulnerabilities as a national security threat.

Andrew Moran and Reuters contributed to this report.

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