Trump expands steel, aluminum tariffs to 400+ consumer goods

The Trump administration expanded the scope of its levies on steel and aluminum to cover more than 400 consumer products, rattling US importers who were scrambling to adapt to the widening scope of the tariff, Bloomberg reports. The new rule — which entered into effect on Monday and applies even to cargo already in transit— would impact about USD 328 bn worth of goods, Bloomberg reports, citing 2024 import data. Among the targeted goods are motorcycles, cargo handling equipment, baby booster seats, tableware, and personal care products with metal packaging.

Trump threatened to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50% backin June, in a bid to protect local industry and temper reliance on Chinese metals. The move could very well saturate other markets with steel that would have otherwise gone to the US, prompting other countries to consider their own tariffs on the essential industrial inputs.

Not the first time: US President Donald Trump enacted sweeping tariffs on steel and aluminum during his first term in 2018, with Washington seeking to raise local output by making foreign metal more expensive. In contrast to current rules, major trading partners — namely Canada, Mexico, and the EU — were notably exempt at the time.