Trump Proclaims New Tariff Adjustments on Aluminum Steel and Copper Imports

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2026 — President Trump issued a proclamation Tuesday that further adjusts the tariff regimes on imports of aluminum, steel, and copper into the United States.

The action modifies earlier measures including Proclamation 9704 of March 8, 2018 on aluminum, Proclamation 9705 of the same date on steel, and Proclamation 10962 of July 30, 2025 that first incorporated copper. It cites Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 as statutory authority and directs changes to ad valorem tariffs, tariff-rate quotas, and country-specific exemptions.

The proclamation directly affects importers, domestic producers, and foreign suppliers of the three metals. U.S. steel imports total roughly 25 million metric tons annually while aluminum imports exceed 5 million metric tons; copper import volumes run several hundred thousand tons.

The adjustments alter duty exposure for shipments from dozens of trading partners that previously operated under varying exemption or quota arrangements.

The new regime replaces prior tariff rates and exemption lists with updated schedules effective 15 days after publication in the Federal Register. It tightens or reallocates tariff-rate quotas on certain product categories, removes select country exemptions granted under prior proclamations, and establishes new documentation requirements for importers claiming residual exemptions.

Importers must update customs filings to reflect the revised rates and quota allotments beginning on the effective date.

Downstream, customs brokers and steel, aluminum, and copper users must revise procurement contracts and supply chains to absorb or pass on the new duty costs. Domestic mills gain additional price protection on covered products while foreign exporters facing higher duties or lost exemptions must either redirect shipments or renegotiate terms.

The Commerce Department will administer the revised licensing and quota systems and report import data under the updated rules. Affected trading partners retain the option to pursue formal consultations or compensatory measures under World Trade Organization procedures.

This proclamation continues a series of Section 232 adjustments begun in 2018. The copper-specific framework originated with the July 2025 proclamation; the latest document layers incremental changes onto that structure without replacing the underlying national-security justification.