Trump raises Section 232 national security tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper to 50 percent

On the one-year anniversary of his Liberation Day tariff proclamation, Trump signs a new proclamation on April 2, 2026, raising Section 232 national security tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper to a flat 50 percent on the full customs value. Derivative articles pay 25 percent; industrial and electrical grid equipment pays 15 percent through 2027. The announcement comes as economic analyses show U.S. manufacturing employment is down 89,000 jobs since April 2025, the trade goods deficit hit an all-time high in 2025, and the average household paid an estimated $600 in additional tariff-related costs over the year. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 authorizes tariffs on national security grounds without an expiration date, unlike Section 122, which has a 150-day limit.