Trump Signs Executive Order to Raise Steel and Aluminum Tariffs to 50%; White House Confirms Letters Urging Trade Partners to Submit Proposals

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to officially increase tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50%. The new tariffs will take effect at 00:01 a.m. Eastern Time on June 4. According to CCTV News, Leavitt also confirmed that the White House has sent letters urging trade negotiation partners to submit proposals.

On May 30 local time, President Trump stated that tariffs on imported steel would be raised from 25% to 50%, effective June 4. Media reports later confirmed that Trump would sign the executive order on June 4, as affirmed by Press Secretary Leavitt. The White House further clarified that the measure would take effect at 00:01 a.m. ET on the same day.

Reports indicated that the legal basis for Trump’s unilateral tariff actions is increasingly being challenged. A federal court had previously invalidated some tariffs enacted under emergency powers. However, the steel and aluminum tariffs remain unaffected, as they are imposed under a different statutory authority.

Trump announced the tariff increase during a visit to a United States Steel Corp. facility in Pennsylvania on May 31. He also expressed support for the company’s acquisition by Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp., while assuring that the enterprise would remain under a form of American control.

“This means no one can steal your industry anymore. At 25%, they could barely climb over the wall; at 50%, they won’t be able to get over it,” Trump said. He later announced on social media that aluminum tariffs would also be raised to the same rate.

While the administration is engaged in legal proceedings over tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the steel and aluminum tariffs are not included in that dispute due to their separate legal authorization.

According to a report by Wallstreetcn, a draft letter from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), obtained by media on June 2, revealed that the Trump administration had requested trade partners to submit their “best trade negotiation proposals” by Wednesday, June 4 ET, or face significant punitive measures.

This request comes just five weeks before the expiration of the 90-day tariff exemption deadline on July 8. As reported by CCTV News, President Trump announced a broad range of reciprocal tariffs on April 2, prompting widespread reactions in global trade markets. On April 9, he suspended most reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, pushing their implementation to July 9.

On June 3 local time, the White House Press Secretary confirmed the authenticity of the letters related to the negotiation deadline. She stated that the USTR sent them to remind countries of the approaching deadline and emphasized President Trump’s interest in reaching favorable agreements.

Reuters also reported that, with only five weeks left until the reciprocal tariffs take effect, the Trump administration has issued urgent notices requiring countries to submit their optimal negotiation plans by Wednesday. According to a draft obtained by Reuters, the USTR is pressing partners to present proposals in critical areas, including tariffs and quotas for U.S. agricultural and industrial products.