The White House announced a sweeping 25% tariff on all aluminum and steel imports, sparking backlash from global trade partners. The administration announced the tariffs Sunday, and they were imposed on Monday, impacting all countries, including major trading partners such as Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and the European Union.
According to the International Trade Administration, Canada is the largest source of imported aluminum into the U.S., accounting for $11.22 billion (39.7% of the total imports) in 2023. United Arab Emirates, China and Korea follow. Aluminum is often used in window frames and is known for being lightweight, strong, durable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable. The main uses of aluminum in building and construction are for window, door, storefront and curtainwall systems.
While the White House argues that the tariffs will help narrow the U.S. trade deficit and create jobs, not all those associated with aluminum and steel agree with the moves. Marty Warren, United Steelworkers Union national director for Canada, says Canada could see an influx of cheap steel and aluminum from countries shut out of the U.S. market.
“If these tariffs move forward, the government must be ready to hit back just as hard and be ready to face the consequences of this new chapter in the crisis on jobs,” says Warren. “For years, we’ve pushed for domestic procurement policies to ensure taxpayer dollars support Canadian jobs and industries. It’s a shame this still hasn’t happened, but the government can’t afford to ignore it any longer.”
In a statement, Ursula Von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, warned that the “unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered—they will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures.”
Monday’s order continues a U.S. trend of targeting global metal imports. During his first term, President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel and 10% on aluminum, which sparked widespread backlash and retaliatory tariffs. As a result, Trump granted exemptions to several countries, including Canada and Mexico.
Mark McClelland, who runs an aluminum extrusion business in Texas, told NPR that the first round of aluminum tariffs increased his company’s costs.
“It drove up our raw material costs by 10%, whether we imported them or not,” says McClelland. “Even if it was produced domestically, it raises your costs 10%.”
An International Trade Commission report found that the Section 232 tariffs reduced imports of affected steel products by 24% and increased the average price of aluminum by 1.6%. The tariffs also increased U.S. production of aluminum products by 3.6%.