President Donald J. Trump has signed a new proclamation adjusting tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, and copper, taking further action to protect American national security while spurring domestic manufacturing investment. The updated tariff framework, announced through the White House fact sheet on June 13, 2026, reflects the administration's continued use of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act to address what it considers threats posed by foreign imports to U.S. economic and national security.
The proclamation adjusts tariffs on agricultural equipment, including combines and harvesters, reducing them from 25 percent to 15 percent. It also expands the existing category of industrial equipment eligible for a 15 percent tariff rate to include mobile industrial equipment such as bulldozers and forklifts when imported from trade deal countries entitled to such treatment. These changes are designed to support American farmers and construction industries while maintaining pressure on foreign producers.
In a significant new provision, the proclamation encourages foreign companies to use more American steel and aluminum by offering a reduced 10 percent duty rate on capital equipment that contains at least 85 percent U.S. melted and poured or smelted and cast steel or aluminum by weight. This incentive aims to integrate American metals more deeply into global supply chains and reward foreign manufacturers who source from U.S. producers.
The tariff adjustments are temporary, lasting until December 31, 2027, with the stated goal of spurring near-term investments that will rebuild the nation's industrial base. According to the White House, these measures build on President Trump's longstanding trade policies that have already delivered significant results for American manufacturing.
The administration highlighted that in 2025, the United States became the third largest steel-producing nation in the world, surging past rival economies as a direct result of the Section 232 tariff program. New steel plants are being built across the country for the first time in a generation, with over 4 million tons of new crude steelmaking capacity expected to become operational in the next two years in states including West Virginia, Arkansas, and South Carolina.
Investment in aluminum and copper smelting is also accelerating. Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminum recently announced a joint venture to build the first new aluminum smelter in the United States in decades, located in Oklahoma. Companies such as Highland Copper, Ivanhoe Electric, Rio Tinto, and Wieland are expanding U.S. copper mining, smelting, and fabrication facilities across the country.
The proclamation represents the latest in a series of actions taken under Section 232 since President Trump's first term. The administration has imposed tariffs and directed negotiations with trading partners covering a broad range of goods, including steel, aluminum, copper, trucks and automobiles, timber, lumber, semiconductors, critical minerals, and pharmaceuticals.
In May 2026, U.S. manufacturing grew at its fastest rate in four years, marking its fifth straight month of expansion and nearly tripling expectations. The White House credited President Trump's America First trade policies for strengthening the economy and national security, noting that through negotiations and the strategic use of tariffs, the administration has secured trillions in private and foreign investment to bring jobs and manufacturing back to the United States.
The updated tariff framework signals the administration's commitment to using trade policy as a tool for both economic growth and national security, while reshaping global trade dynamics in favor of American industry.
Sources: whitehouse.gov
