U.S. President Donald Trump has officially declared that a 50 per cent tariff on imported copper will take effect on August 1, marking a significant escalation in his administration’s trade policies. The announcement, made via his Truth Social account late Wednesday, follows through on his earlier pledge to impose heavy tariffs in response to what he described as a national security concern.
“Copper is necessary for Semiconductors, Aircraft, Ships, Ammunition, Data Centers, Lithium-ion Batteries, Radar Systems, Missile Defense Systems, and even, Hypersonic Weapons, of which we are building many,” Trump wrote. “Copper is the second most used material by the Department of Defense!”
This move comes a day after Trump floated the idea during a cabinet meeting, saying, “Today we are doing copper,” while suggesting the rate would be 50 per cent. The tariff is being enacted under Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act, a legal mechanism that allows the president to apply trade restrictions based on national security assessments. Trump had ordered the investigation into copper imports under this law back in February.
The decision could have wide-reaching implications for major copper exporters to the U.S., including Canada, Chile, and Peru. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, these three countries supplied over 90 per cent of the refined copper imported into the U.S. in 2023. Canada alone accounted for 52 per cent of U.S. copper imports, with its total copper and copper-based product exports reaching $9.3 billion that year, according to Natural Resources Canada.
Although Canada ranks 12th globally in copper production and holds less than one per cent of the world’s copper reserves, the impact of the new tariff could significantly affect Canadian exporters and downstream industries across North America.
As geopolitical tensions and supply chain security remain a top concern for the Trump administration, copper is now being added to the growing list of strategic materials subject to tighter trade controls.