US Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum Take Effect

‘This is a big deal, the beginning of making America rich again,’ Trump said in February.

Shipping containers are organized at the Houston Port of Authority in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 10, 2025. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports went into effect shortly after midnight on March 12.

In addition to imposing levies on steel and aluminum from all U.S. trading partners, the White House restored and expanded Section 232 tariffs by eliminating hundreds of agreed-upon exemptions and exclusions approved by former President Joe Biden or during Trump’s first term.