US President Donald Trump on Tuesday opened another front in his attack on global trade criteria, in which a new inquiry was ordered in a possible new tariff on copper imports, which electric vehicles, military hardware, semiconductors and a wide range For reconstruction of a metal production of a metal. consumer goods.
Trump, his advisors, saw as a step by China to dominate the global copper market, saw an order, signed an order, Howard Lutynik under Section 232 of the Business Extension Act of 1962 Signed the same law to start a new national security check. Trump used 25% global tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term.
A White House official said that any possible tariff rate would be determined by investigation, saying that Trump prefers tariffs on quota.
White House business advisor Peter Navaro said the investigation will be completed soon, “Trump time.”
Navaro said that China was using state subsidy and economic impact to gain control over global copper production, similarly it is now dominating steel and aluminum production.
According to data from the US Census Bureau, Chile, Canada and Mexico, the most affected by any new American copper tariffs, will be the top suppliers of refined copper and copper articles in 2024.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik said in a statement, “Like our steel and aluminum industries, our great American copper industry has been removed by global actors to attack our domestic production.” “To make our copper industry back, I will check the implementation of the potential tariff.”
Lutnik said that American industry and national defense depended on copper and “it should be made in America, no discounts, no exception.”
“It’s time to come to the copper house,” said Lutnik.
The White House official said that the investigation would pay attention to the import of raw mining copper, copper focus, copper alloy, scrap copper and dominated products made of metal. The officer refused to identify any specific derivatives, saying that the investigation would be biased.
A White House official said that the Energy Department recognized the copper as an important material in the moderate period due to the increasing demand for solar power technologies, global electrification, given that it is the second most widespread form in American weapons platforms Was the material used from.
The official said that based on the current demand of electric vehicles and electric-fighter artificial intelligence applications, there will be a shortage of American copper in the future, and the US cannot develop enough copper smelting and refinement ability until long lasting lasting. There should not be a certain certainty business protection for the sector.
The move is the latest attempt by Trump to construct a tariff wall around the American economy, which is part of their drive for long -term deadlling US manufacturing base and rebuilding the redrooves of redroove decades.
Trump said on Monday that separate 25% general tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada were on “schedule” before the implementation deadline on March 4, both to secure their American borders and to prevent the flow of fennel Despite the efforts by both, malignant opioids.
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