Los Angeles, Calif. (June 2, 2025) - At a rally in Pennsylvania on May 30, 2025, President Donald Trump announced that his administration would soon double the tariff on imported steel from 25 percent to 50 percent. President Trump initially imposed steel tariffs during his first administration pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (“Section 232”). In February 2025, President Trump issued a Proclamation extending these tariffs under Section 232.

President Trump has yet to issue an Executive Order or Proclamation concerning the newly announced doubled steel tariffs, although he will almost certainly do so within the next few days. The legal source of these new tariffs is not yet clear, though it will likely be Section 232, since the Trump Administration recently indicated it will rely on sources other than the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 after recent court decisions striking tariffs issued under that statute which are presently under appeal. You can read Lewis Brisbois’ summary of those court decisions here.