WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump says he will impose a 50 per cent tariff on copper imports — but isn’t saying yet when it will take effect.
“Today we are doing copper,” Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, adding “I believe the tariff on copper we are going to make it 50 per cent.”
The level of tariff was confirmed in the meeting by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The president, however, was not scheduled to sign any executive orders Tuesday to implement the duties.
Data from Natural Resources Canada shows the United States accounted for 52 per cent of Canada’s copper export value in 2023. That year, Canada’s total exports of copper and copper-based products were valued at $9.3 billion.
The looming copper tariffs are a sign that Trump plans to go ahead with a list of sectoral levies beyond his current import taxes on steel, aluminum and automobiles.
Earlier this year, Trump launched investigations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 into multiple products, including copper and pharmaceuticals, citing national security concerns.
Trump said he also will announce duties soon on pharmaceuticals but suggests he would give manufacturers a year before introducing those tariffs.
“After that they’re going to be tariffed if they have to bring the pharmaceuticals into the country, the drugs and other things, into the country,” Trump said. “They’re going to be tariffed at a very, very high rate, like 200 per cent.”
The Section 232 tariffs are separate from Trump’s massive global tariff regime, which he delayed Monday in order to give his administration more time for trade negotiations.
Devastating U.S. duties against countries around the world were set to come into force Wednesday before Trump pushed back the deadline to Aug. 1.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
