24/7 Rapid Response - On Call Transportation Attorneys | 24/7 Data Breach Response

Legal Alerts

President Trump Announces New Steel Tariffs

Los Angeles, Calif. (June 2, 2025) - At a rally in Pennsylvania on May 30, 2025, President Donald Trump announced that his administration would soon double the tariff on imported steel from 25 percent to 50 percent. President Trump initially imposed steel tariffs during his first administration pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (“Section 232”). In February 2025, President Trump issued a Proclamation extending these tariffs under Section 232.

President Trump has yet to issue an Executive Order or Proclamation concerning the newly announced doubled steel tariffs, although he will almost certainly do so within the next few days. The legal source of these new tariffs is not yet clear, though it will likely be Section 232, since the Trump Administration recently indicated it will rely on sources other than the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 after recent court decisions striking tariffs issued under that statute which are presently under appeal. You can read Lewis Brisbois’ summary of those court decisions here.

At his May 30 rally in Pennsylvania, President Trump also discussed the recently announced transaction between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel, which Trump stated would lead to about $14 billion in investments into the U.S. steel industry over the next 14 months in states as geographically diverse as Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Indiana, Minnesota, and Alabama.

Key Takeaways

Companies importing foreign steel are likely to see doubled tariffs in the coming days or weeks, and can expect impacts on import compliance, disruption of supply chains, and difficulties in contract performance. While legal challenges are likely to follow, U.S. companies must be vigilant in analyzing supply chain and tariff-related issues.

Lewis Brisbois’s attorneys are actively engaged in the wide range of legal issues in this area and are advising clients on managing legal and business risk as events continue to develop at an accelerated pace. For more information, contact the author or editors of this alert. Visit our Ukraine Conflict, International Trade, Export, Import and Investment Controls & National Security Practice page for additional alerts in this area.

Author:

Griffen Thorne, Partner

Editors:

Andrew Pidgirsky, Partner and Ukraine Conflict, International Trade, Export, Import and Investment Controls & National Security Practice

Jane C. Luxton, Managing Partner - Washington, D.C.

Related Practices


Related Attorneys

Find an Attorney

Each of the firm's offices include partners, associates and a professional staff dedicated to meeting the challenge of providing the firm's clients with extraordinary service.