To address the effects of copper imports on U.S. national security, President Trump issued a proclamation to impose “universal 50% tariffs on imports of semi-finished copper products (such as copper pipes, wires, rods, sheets, and tubes) and copper-intensive derivative products (such as pipe fittings, cables, connectors, and electrical components), effective August 1.” These tariffs, which sent the global copper market reeling, are a result of an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, which was initiated on February 25, 2025. According to the proclamation, the copper tariffs apply to the copper content of a product, whereas the non-copper content remains subject to reciprocal tariffs or other applicable duties (with no stacking); the copper tariffs do not stack with the auto Section 232 tariffs. Significantly, copper input materials, such as copper ores, concentrates, mattes, cathodes, and anodes, and copper scrap, are not subject to the Section 232 copper tariffs.
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