Trump directs investigation preceding potential copper tariffs

President Trump on Tuesday directed his Commerce secretary to investigate the need for possible tariffs on copper, the latest industry to potentially be targeted by Trump’s sweeping trade agenda.

“Like our steel and aluminum industries, our great American copper industry has been decimated by global actors attacking our domestic production,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement. “To build back our copper industry, I will investigate the imposition of possible tariffs. Tariffs can help build back our American copper industry if necessary and strengthen our national defense.”

White House officials argued copper and copper alloys are critical for military hardware and national security preparedness. They cited concerns about foreign dumping of copper to oversaturate the market and a reliance on foreign copper production as the reason Trump is directing Lutnick to conduct the investigation that could precede tariffs.

The goal is to increase copper production domestically, White House officials said. There was no immediate timetable on when the investigation would conclude or when tariffs could be announced, with one White House official saying the goal is to move “as quickly as possible and get the results of his investigation to the president’s desk for possible action.”

Lutnick’s investigation into the copper industry comes after Trump earlier this month took action to bolster tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States and crack down on attempts by China and Russia to evade penalties.

Trump has also threatened reciprocal tariffs on imports from all nations that levy tariffs on U.S. goods, set to take effect in early April. He has also floated putting tariffs on automobile imports, lumber, pharmaceutical products and other goods.

The president had delayed 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico until early March after those nations agreed to take actions to crack down on the flow of illegal drugs at the border.

Reuters reported in January that the U.S. imports 38 percent of its copper needs.

A White House official said the U.S. produces 28 percent of the amount of copper produced by Chile and 14 percent of what China produces. A U.S. Geological Survey report found the U.S. produced roughly 1.1 million tons of recoverable copper in 2023, which was valued at $9.9 billion, down 11 percent from its value in 2022. A report on 2024 production was not yet available.

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