President Trump is angling to impose a 24 percent tariff on all steel imports, the sternest of three recommendations made last month by the Commerce Department.
Bloomberg reported Friday that Trump has told confidants that he wants to impose harsh tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from all countries.
The aluminum tariff could be as high as 10 percent, according to Bloomberg, higher than the recommendation put forward by the Commerce Department.
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White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah told Bloomberg that Trump has not made a final decision on the tariffs and that he is still weighing his options.
“As with every decision he makes, the security of the American people and the American economy will be the president’s primary concerns while he considers his potential options,” he said. “President Trump is committed to achieving fair and reciprocal trade relationships that protect the American worker and grow our economy.”
The Commerce Department released a report last month declaring steel and aluminum imports from China and elsewhere a national security threat.
That report included an array of recommendations for Trump that included potential quotas and tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trump must decide what action to take on steel by April 11 and what action to take on aluminum by April 19.
Trump campaigned on a promise to bolster manufacturing in the U.S., including steel manufacturing. He has long complained that cheap imports from China and elsewhere hurt the American steel industry.
According to Bloomberg, Trump is considering announcing his decision on steel at an event in Pennsylvania, a Rust Belt state he won in the 2016 presidential race, ahead of a special congressional election there.