Sat 31 May 2025:

US President Donald Trump announced a major increase on Friday in tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, doubling the rate from 25% to 50%, in what he described as a move to further protect American industry.

“Today, I have a major announcement,” Trump said during a rally at a US Steel facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Trump doubles tariffs on steel imports to 50%

‘Nobody’s going to get around that’ — Trump says move will further secure US steel industry
Announcement made at US Steel facility in Pittsburgh https://t.co/19qP4Iqh7e pic.twitter.com/pAA9PtW85F

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) May 30, 2025

“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,” Trump said.

He argued that the increase would close gaps that foreign competitors have used to bypass previous tariffs.

“So, we’re bringing it up from 25%, we’re doubling it to 50% and that’s a loophole,” he added.

Addressing investors in the US steel sector, Trump said: “At 25%, they can sort of get over that fence. At 50%, they can no longer get over the fence, so congratulations to everybody, and to you, for making a great deal.”

“I said the tariff to me is the most beautiful word in the dictionary,” Trump added.

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Trump’s mass layoff plans

Meanwhile, a US federal appeals court on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to implement widespread layoffs across federal agencies, ruling that the executive order authorizing the cuts exceeds the president’s constitutional authority, CNN reported.

In a 2-1 decision, the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court injunction that halted the layoffs — officially termed reductions in force (RIFs) — which had been on hold since May 9. The court found that Trump lacked the necessary congressional approval to carry out such broad personnel changes.

Senior Circuit Judge William Fletcher, writing for the majority, stated that the executive order “far exceeds the President’s supervisory powers” and emphasized that “the kind of reorganization contemplated by the order has long been subject to Congressional approval.”

The lawsuit, brought by a coalition of federal employees and labor groups, challenged the administration’s efforts to restructure nearly every Cabinet-level department, including the departments of Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, Interior, Labor, State, and Treasury.

-Source: AA

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