Trump, citing national security, gave scaled orders on some copper imports
The United States will impose 50 percent tariff on copper pipes and wiring, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, but levy details were reduced by comprehensive sanctions, which were required and left input content of copper such as ores, concentrations and cathode.
The US Comex Copper Futures declined by 19.5 percent after the announcement, recently increased a premium on London’s global benchmark. The traders had admitted that we would have financial benefits from the tariffs of copper mines.
Trump first teased tariffs in early July, which means that it would apply to all types of red metals, including cathode produced by mines and smelters to wiring and other finished products.
But a proclamation released by the White House stated that the tariff, which kicks on Friday, will apply only to semi-taiyar copper products and other products that make heavy use of copper when manufactured.
Trump said in his announcement, “Copper is being imported into the United States in the United States and threatened to spoil the United States national security in such circumstances.”
Tariffs will exclude copper scrap and copper concentrations, mats, cathods and anods, which are some of the main products of copper mines and smelters.
This step is essentially a boost for Chile and Peru, two of the two largest copper miners in the world.
Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, “The newly declared copper tariffs are away from universal tariffs that the markets were concerned about.” “It is initially less punitive than the required markets.”
The remedy came after an American investigation under Section 232, which was ordered by Trump in February. According to the announcement, the report was given to the White House by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutynik on 30 June.
The section of the US trade law allows the President to put levy on some goods that are said to be threatened by “national security”.
Trump said that he could still put further tariffs and has asked Lutynic to provide an update on the domestic copper market by June 2026. At that time, Trump will evaluate whether a phased universal import duty be imposed on a sophisticated copper of 15 percent starting in 2027 and 30 percent starts in 2028, he said.
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With tariffs, the order asks for steps to support the domestic copper industry, including 25 percent of the high quality scrap produced in the US, which is also sold within the country.
Freeport-Macmorn, the largest manufacturer of American copper, said it would comment after reviewing Trump’s order in detail.
Codelco of Chile, the world’s largest copper manufacturer, praised the boycott of cathods for the company and as a positive for Chile, who is the top supplier of copper refined copper for the US
BHP, which operates the world’s largest copper mine in Chile, and Antofagasta, which shipped copper from Chile to the US and wants to build an American copper mine, did not immediately respond to the requests of the comment.
