Trump adding copper to trade protections, Commerce secretary says
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said President Trump plans to introduce steep tariffs on copper imports after he directed Cabinet officials to investigate the country’s ability to rely on its domestic supply chain for the metal instead of foreign trade partners.
“The president wants steel and aluminum in America. And let me be clear, nothing's going to stop that until we've got a big, strong domestic steel and aluminum capability,” Lutnick said Wednesday on Fox Business Network's “Varney & Co.”
“And, by the way, he's going to add copper to that mix too,” he continued.
No date was given for the levies, but the president is expected to announce a new round of reciprocal tariffs on April 2.
Lutnick said Trump’s tariffs on outsourced goods are “essential to national security” as outlined in the president’s February executive order, which cites copper as having a “vital role” in defense applications, infrastructure, and emerging technologies, including clean energy, electric vehicles, and advanced electronics.
“Japan dumps steel. China dumps steel. What that means is they make it, they overproduce and they sell it dirt cheap to drive our — to try to drive our guys out of business,” Lutnick told host Stuart Varney.
“The president is here to protect American workers. He’s here to protect American industry. We're going to stop that nonsense and bring steel here,” he added.
China dominates global copper smelting and refining, controlling more than 50 percent of global smelting capacity and holding four of the top five largest refining facilities.
Canada and Peru are some of the largest U.S. suppliers of refined copper, only outpaced by Chile, which remains the world’s largest copper miner.
Lutnick has said Trump’s new policies will come as a blow to foreign nations for the good of the American economy.
“You've got the smartest guy, most intuitive guy driving tariff policy. I am, indeed, helping him execute his policy. The economic team is one. We're doing it together,” he said on air.
“You know, we understand what he wants to achieve. He wants to bring manufacturing back to America. He wants to bring and protect America from certain industries, which he's called out. And we're doing it together.”
-
Commerce secretary says Trump's policies are "worth it" even if they lead to recession
President Trump backed off doubling Canadian steel and aluminum tariffs after Ontario suspended a 25% electricity surcharge on several U.S. states. Nancy Cordes talked to Commerce Secretary Howard ...CBS News - 1d -
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says 'there’s going to be no recession in America'
Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick said that Americans should "absolutely not" brace for a recession as President Donald Trump plans to implement far-reaching tariffs.NBC News - 3d -
Commerce secretary says 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum will go into effect Wednesday
During an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick explains which tariffs will take effect and which have been postponed by President Donald Trump.NBC News - 3d -
Trump made clear ‘Elon Musk is your partner’ in Cabinet meeting, says Commerce secretary
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick says that President Trump made clear to his Cabinet that Elon Musk is “a partner” in deciding who and what will be cut ...NBC News - 3d -
Americans should ‘absolutely not’ brace for recession despite bank warnings: Commerce secretary
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick says Americans should “absolutely not” brace for a recession amid warning signs from major banks like JP Morgan and ...NBC News - 3d -
Commerce Secretary Lutnick defends Trump's tariffs: "Let the dealmaker make his deals"
Market volatility continued Tuesday with major indexes closing in the red as President Trump negotiates tariffs with Canada. CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes sat down with ...CBS News - 23h -
Lutnick says Trump tariffs 'worth it' even if they lead to recession
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Tuesday that President Trump’s tariff policies will be worth it, even if the economy ends up in a recession. In an interview that aired Tuesday, CBS News’s ...The Hill - 19h -
3/11: CBS Evening News
Commerce secretary says Trump's policies are "worth it" even if they lead to recession; It's been 5 years since WHO declared COVID pandemicCBS News - 15h -
Treasury Secretary Bessent says economy could be 'starting to roll a little bit'
President Trump's Treasury secretary discussed the U.S. economy and tariffs on "Squawk Box."CNBC - 5d
More from The Hill
-
EPA sets stage for cutting climate and pollution regs
Click for more from The Hill. {beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story EPA sets stage for cutting climate and pollution regs The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ...The Hill - 37m -
Senate Democrats struggle with funding dilemma as shutdown deadline looms
Senate Democrats are staring down a major dilemma as they agonize over how to handle the GOP’s stopgap spending bill in the face of a potential government shutdown by the end of the week. ...The Hill - 40m -
Progressive group targets GOP lawmakers over Musk, health cuts
Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care First in The Hill Nonprofit launches ad campaign urging GOP to stand up to Musk The digital campaign from progressive ...The Hill - 51m -
Shaheen needles Scott Brown over potential GOP Senate bid
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) needled her former rival Scott Brown over his status as a former Massachusetts senator on Wednesday as he weighs a bid to replace her in the Senate. “You ...The Hill - 53m -
Cook Political Report rates Shaheen's open seat as 'lean Democrat'
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D) Senate seat as “lean Democrat” following the senator’s announcement she would not seek reelection in 2026. While ...The Hill - 1h
More in Politics
-
EPA sets stage for cutting climate and pollution regs
Click for more from The Hill. {beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story EPA sets stage for cutting climate and pollution regs The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ...The Hill - 37m -
Senate Democrats struggle with funding dilemma as shutdown deadline looms
Senate Democrats are staring down a major dilemma as they agonize over how to handle the GOP’s stopgap spending bill in the face of a potential government shutdown by the end of the week. ...The Hill - 40m -
Europe and Canada retaliate against Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs
President Trump touted better-than-expected inflation numbers Wednesday, as the trade war is escalating. Canada and the European Union announced new tariffs on U.S. goods after Trump’s sweeping ...NBC News - 44m -
Progressive group targets GOP lawmakers over Musk, health cuts
Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care First in The Hill Nonprofit launches ad campaign urging GOP to stand up to Musk The digital campaign from progressive ...The Hill - 51m -
Shaheen needles Scott Brown over potential GOP Senate bid
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) needled her former rival Scott Brown over his status as a former Massachusetts senator on Wednesday as he weighs a bid to replace her in the Senate. “You ...The Hill - 53m