Trump’s copper tariff probe is expected soon, industry group says
US authorities are expected to decide on copper tariffs well before a year-end deadline, according to a trade group.
President Donald Trump in February directed the US Commerce Department to open an investigation into potential copper tariffs and submit a report within 270 days. In late March, the probe launched under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act was expected to be ready within weeks, said people familiar with the matter at the time.
“We expect it to be soon,” Adam Estelle, head of the Copper Development Association, said in an interview Tuesday.
Trump has threatened to impose a duty of as much as a 25% on all copper imports, a move that could roil the global market for one of the world’s most ubiquitous metals. The tariffs, designed to protect local producers, would leave US manufacturers paying much more for metal than rivals overseas.
The CDA was among industry representatives that submitted public comments to the Commerce Department, saying most of its copper-product making members supported tariffs on rods, wires and pipes to help boost domestic output lost to China.
However, the CDA letter called for tariff exemptions on refined and scrap copper imports, urging the Trump administration to use incentives such as grants, easier permitting and tax credits to increase domestic metal production. It also called for an export ban on recyclable high-purity copper scrap, which many manufacturers have the capacity to process stateside.
Still, Estelle said he expects any copper tariff to be imposed “all or nothing” rather than “slicing and dicing.”
“We firmly support the vision to kick-start the domestic copper industry,” Estelle said. “The hope is that the 232 investigation is a great opportunity to bring some of these issues to light.”
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