WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order launching an investigation that could lead to tariffs on imports of copper.
Specifically, the order directs the Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to look into derivative products imported by the U.S. that involve the metal and whether they could be suppressing the United States' ability to manufacture domestically.
“Tariffs can help build back our American copper industry, if necessary, and strengthen our national defense,” a statement from Lutnick given to reporters said. “American industries depend on copper, and it should be made in America, no exemptions, no exceptions.”
While Trump frequently rails against trade imbalances between the U.S. and certain countries, White House officials on a call stressed that Tuesday’s move was about national security, noting the metal’s use in the making of aircraft, ships and other military hardware as well as global electrification and more. Officials argued that the U.S. is seeing its dependency on imports when it comes to the metal “rise dramatically” due to unfair trade practices by other countries, specifically blasting China, despite having enough reserves at home.
“China has long used industrial over capacity and dumping as an economic weapon to dominate global markets, systematically undercutting competitors and driving rival industries out of business,” White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said. “It is now using that same model to gain control of the world's copper markets.”
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an agency of the interior department, the countries with the most metric tons in reserves include Chile, Peru, Russia and Australia.
An official added that U.S. smelting and refining capacity, both key steps in making products that use copper, is lagging but later referred to our potential as “untapped.”
The U.S. exported more than $11 billion of copper in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, while importing more than $9 billion.
White House officials stressed that the move was just an investigation at this point, declining to talk about a level for potential tariffs. Navarro said, however, that Lutnick will move in what he calls “Trump time,” which he said is as quickly as possible.
Should the investigation lead to the recommendation of tariffs, it would mark the latest in a series of levies the president has implemented on goods from foreign countries since returning to the White House. Earlier this month, he expanded tariffs on steel and aluminum imports before kicking off the process to impose reciprocal tariffs on other countries.
Trump has already increased tariffs on goods from China and earlier this week, he said his proposed levies on goods from Canada and Mexico that were pushed back a month will go into effect next month as planned.