U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (May 30) said he planned to increase tariffs on foreign imports of steel from 25% to 50%, ratcheting up pressure on global steel producers and vowing to deepen his trade war.

"We are going to be imposing a 25% increase. We're going to bring it from 25% to 50% the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States," he said at a rally in Pennsylvania.

In February Trump raised steel and aluminum tariffs to a flat 25% "without exceptions or exemptions" in one of his first moves to aid the struggling industries.

The tariffs would apply to millions of tons of steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and other countries that had been entering the U.S. duty free.

Trump lauded a "partnership" between Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel at a political rally and appeared to signal he would support a long-sought tie-up between the Japanese and U.S. companies that he once opposed.

The planned acquisition, initially floated in 2023, has divided the politically important state of Pennsylvania, its heavily unionized blue-collar workforce and introduced tension into the normally friendly U.S.-Japanese relations.

U.S. Steel is headquartered in Pennsylvania, which symbolized both the one-time strength and the decline of U.S. manufacturing power as the Rust Belt's steel plants and factories lost business to international rivals. The state's population swings between supporting Democrats and Republicans, making it a major prize in presidential elections.

(Production: Gerardo Gomez)

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES (MAY 30, 2025) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

1. VARIOUS OF U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, STEPPING ON STAGE

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"We are going to be imposing a 25% increase. We're going to bring it from 25% to 50% the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States. Nobody's going to get around that. So we're bringing it up from 25%. We're doubling it to 50%."

3. AUDIENCE AT STEEL PLANT RALLY

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"But the Nippon investment we're announcing today blows them all away with a record setting, and this was just heard of we just came out a little while ago, 14 billion dollar commitment to the future of this company. That's that is the single largest investment, that's the single largest investment of any kind in any industry. So not only steel go all the way back, you go into fracking, you go into anything you want to go into because you're a good fracking state too. We love fracking, by the way. But think of this, think of this, the largest investment of any kind in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. And we also will be the largest investment in the history of American steel industry. There's never been a 14 billion dollar investment in the history of the steel industry in the United States of America."

5. AUDIENCE AT STEEL PLANT RALLY

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"You know, I have to tell you about Nippon. They kept asking me over and I kept rejecting and no way, no way, no way. And after about four times, I said, you know, these people really want to do a great thing. They really want it. And they're putting up, you know, billions of dollars and they're going to do this plant and other plants and it's great. And you're going to have control, you're going to maintain control. And nobody would put up money like that. And every time, Dave, I think you'll say every time they came in, the deal got better and better and better for the workers because I didn't give a damn about anybody else if you want to know the truth. And the rest of them, they'll take care of themselves."

7. AUDIENCE AT STEEL PLANT RALLY

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"Most importantly, US-Steel will continue to be controlled by the USA. Otherwise, I wouldn't have done the deal. I wouldn't have done it. But the USA and we're going to be working together. And you got to look at your board. You have a great board, and we're going to have an amazing alliance."

9. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"If you don't have steel, you don't have a country, you don't have a country. You can't make a military. What are we going to do? Say let's go to China to get our steel for the army tanks and for the boats and ships. A strong steel industry is not just a matter of dignity or prosperity and pride. It's above all a matter of national security."

11. AUDIENCE AT RALLY

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"We're taking in billions and billions of dollars and tariffs and other things. And we're keeping our competitive nations. We're keeping them, they're competitors, and we're keeping them totally at bay. And we right now have the hottest nation anywhere in the world. And six months ago, we had a nation that was dying. We had a nation that was cold as ice. And now we have the hottest, most talked about nation anywhere in the world."

13. AUDIENCE AT RALLY

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"And every U.S. steel worker will soon receive a well-deserved $5,000 bonus. So that story, we thank you very much. And that's great."

15. AUDIENCE AT STEEL PLANT RALLY

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"A woman who's an incredible writer (referring to Salena Zito) actually. She understands what they call the Rust Belt. We won't be able to call this section a rust belt anymore. It'll be a golden belt. It will be a golden dawn. Ready? It'll be part of a golden dome that we're building to save everybody's lives."

16. AUDIENCE AT STEEL PLANT RALLY

17. FORMER AND CURRENT PITTSBURGH STEELERS PLAYERS ON STAGE WITH TRUMP/

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PITTSBURGH STEELERS PLAYER, ROCKY BLEIER, SAYING:

"With the number 47 as the 47th president of the United States, a number that hangs in the national Football League Hall of Fame. I'd like to present this to a Hall of Fame president. Please accept it."/ TRUMP TAKING STEELERS JERSEY/

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PITTSBURGH STEELERS PLAYER, MASON RUDOLPH, SAYING:

"I'm honored to be here with with a great Steeler legend like Rocky Bleier, somebody who fought for our country in Vietnam and came back and and played some great football with the black and gold. Awesome to be here. A part of this big investment in Pittsburgh. Go Steelers."

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PITTSBURGH STEELERS PLAYER, MILES KILLEBREW, SAYING:

"How about this president of ours, huh? Just wanted to say God bless you, President Trump, and God bless you, Pittsburgh."

18. TRUMP LEAVING STAGE