Trump Says He Will Double Steel, Aluminium Tariffs To 50%
The price of steel products has increased roughly 16% since he became president, according to the government’s producer price index
President Donald Trump said he is going to double the tariff rate on steel from 25% to 50%, a dramatic increase that could further increase prices for the metal used to make housing, autos and other goods. Trump was speaking at U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, to announce investments by Japan’s Nippon Steel .
The price of steel products has increased roughly 16% since he became president, according to the government’s producer price index.
Also Friday, Trump hosted an Oval Office news conference alongside billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency architect Elon Musk . The world’s richest man is leaving his job having accomplished far less than he set out to do, although his tumultuous tenure will likely leave a lasting mark on the federal government.
Here’s the Latest:
Trump official threatens to pull funding from New York over its Native American mascot ban Secretary of Education Linda McMahon accused the state of discriminating against a school district that refuses to get rid of its Native American chief mascot and could face a Justice Department investigation or risk losing federal funding.
McMahon said during a visit to Massapequa High that her agency determined that the state violated federal civil rights law by banning the use of Native American mascots and logos.
The department’s civil rights office deemed it discriminatory because names and mascots derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the “Dutchmen” and the “Huguenots,” are still permitted.
McMahon said the state will have 10 days to sign an agreement rescinding its ban and apologizing to Native Americans.
State education department spokesperson JP O’Hare dismissed her visit as “political theater” and said the district is doing a “grave disservice” by refusing to consult with local tribes.
“These representatives will tell them, as they have told us, that certain Native American names and images perpetuate negative stereotypes and are demonstrably harmful to children,” he said.
Trump says doubling of tariff on steel applies to aluminum, too The president said the higher 50% rate takes effect June 4.
“This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers,” he said on his social media platform after his rally in Pennsylvania.
Department of Energy axes nearly $4 billion in clean energy grants Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Friday that he canceled the $3.7 billion in grants, another massive blow to clean energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts under the Trump administration.
The grants, largely awarded during former President Joe Biden’s final few months, were primarily for programs to capture carbon emissions and store them underground. Other efforts concern cleaner cement, natural gas and more.
Some of the 24 grants were $500 million for Heidelberg Materials US Inc.; $375 million for Eastman Chemical Company; $95 million for Nevada Gold Mines LLC; and $270 million for Sutter CCUS, according to a list provided by the Department of Energy. Sublime Systems, which lost an $87 million grant, said it was “surprised and disappointed.”
Conrad Schneider, a senior director at the Clean Air Task Force, said the cancellations are “bad for U.S. competitiveness in the global market” and contradict “the administration’s stated goals of supporting energy production and environmental innovation.”
