Hundreds of Items Just Got a Lot More Expensive to Import Into the US Because of Trump’s Tariffs

August 20, 2025

President Donald Trump's 50% tariff on steel and aluminum products has expanded to include 407 categories of derivative goods, effective Monday at 12:01 a. m. ET.

Who is affected

US-based importers of steel and aluminum derivative products
Consumers who may face higher prices on affected goods
Manufacturing industries including construction, automotive, and electronics sectors
American steel and aluminum industries (intended beneficiaries)
Companies importing the 407 newly tariffed categories of goods

What action is being taken

The 50% tariff on steel and aluminum is being expanded to include 407 categories of "derivative" products
US Customs and Border Protection and a division of the US Commerce Department are implementing the expanded tariffs
The tariffs are being applied to goods containing steel and aluminum components immediately
The government is enforcing these measures to prevent circumvention of existing tariffs

Why it matters

The abrupt implementation leaves importers with difficult choices regarding goods already in transit
Businesses are unlikely to absorb a 50% tariff increase, making price increases for consumers more likely
The tariffs aim to support "revitalization of the American steel and aluminum industries" according to officials
Combined with recently implemented copper tariffs, these measures will impact production costs across multiple manufacturing sectors
The tariffs represent a significant expansion of Trump's trade policies

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint