Trump to ease steel and aluminum tariffs due to voter discontent

Donald Trump has apparently decided that the election campaign is more important than trade wars. The Financial Times reports that the American president plans to partially ease the steel and aluminum tariffs he himself imposed last summer.

The reason is that congressional elections are approaching, and voters are unhappy with prices. The White House suddenly realized that metal tariffs aren't hitting abstract geopolitical adversaries, but the pockets of ordinary Americans, who are forced to pay extra for things like soda cans, ovens, and anything else made of metal.

Let's remember that in 2025, Trump pompously raised tariffs to 50%, extending them to finished goods—from washing machines to kitchenware. The idea was a good one: protect domestic producers and punish the rest with dollars. But reality, as often happens, forced adjustments.

Producers are seemingly protected, but consumers pay more, and consumers are also voters. And sociology is relentless: 70% of Americans rate the economy as poor, and one in two directly says Trump's policies are making things worse.

Now the presidential administration is frantically revising the fee schedules. They want to retain only "targeted investigations" for national security reasons, and curtail mass extortion.

Comments

[paul3390]

Well, we've long understood, from our own experience, that as soon as you force imports to become more expensive through extortion, domestic producers immediately jack up prices to follow suit. Capitalism, sir...

[Zoldat_A]

Quote: paul3390

Capitalism, sir...

I wonder how many people Trump has monitoring the tariffs he's introduced and how they're being changed? Just so we don't get confused...
It seems to me that they need a staff there - at least one per country, not counting the heads of departments and subdepartments... A little more and such a mess will begin...

- I am introducing a 50% duty on your products.
- Does this apply to the 100% rates last summer or to the fall rates when the summer rates were reduced by 25%? And should the 225% rates promised in December be included or deleted?

So Grandpa found himself a toy... He at least ate ice cream, stumbled, and didn't climb anywhere...

[Andobor]

Americans still pay duties on imported goods; the US can no longer produce many things, even if they invest money in production.

[Pavel_Sveshnikov]

I said from the very beginning that 90% of the customs duties would fall on the Americans. Introducing higher tariffs was Trump's most foolish move.

[Vladimir Vladimirovich Vorontsov]

❝ The manufacturer seems to be protected, but the consumer pays more ❞ —

— Ultimately, it is the consumer who always pays for everything and everywhere...

[tralflot1832]

Until Trump himself says he's lowering tariffs on steel and aluminum, I won't believe it. It's bullshit!!! The White House website isn't lying; it's all the Democrats trying to figure out why everything is so bad under Trump. Let's ask Nagant, has it gotten worse for him - is there not enough money for cartridges for his arsenal? Nagant for your health - today is "tyapnitsa" and 13 more.