United States President Donald Trump has signed executive orders to impose 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from March 12, despite warnings from Europe and China.

The European Union has however swiftly vowed to retaliate with “firm and proportionate countermeasures”.

In an executive order released Monday, Trump said, “As of March 12, 2025, all imports of aluminium articles and derivative aluminium articles from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico, EU countries, and the UK shall be subject to the additional ad valorem tariff.”

He issued a separate order for steel, which said it would apply to all imports from the same countries the aluminium tariffs hit, as well as to Brazil, Japan and South Korea.

“I’m simplifying our tariffs on steel and aluminium,” Trump said earlier in the Oval Office. “It’s 25 per cent without exceptions or exemptions.”

The tariffs also appeared to indirectly target China, with the executive orders detailing how certain countries, particularly Mexico were “using” their exemptions to get Chinese imports into the United States.

Chinese producers are using Mexico’s general exclusion from the tariff to funnel Chinese aluminium to the United States through Mexico,” Trump claimed.

Mexico’s increased volume of steel imports from China also “support a conclusion that there is transhipment or further processing of steel mill articles from countries seeking to evade quantitative restrictions.”

https://leadership.ng/trump-imposes-25-tariffs-on-steel-aluminium-from-canada-mexico-others/