GreenergyDaily

Feb. 26, 2025

1. US President Donald Trump has signed an executive action directing the Commerce Department to examine possible copper tariffs, the latest in a string of measures aimed at imposing sector-specific levies that could reshape global supply chains.

2. Senior administration officials earlier on Tuesday cast the step as necessary to address what they said was a national security issue. They argued that dumping and overcapacity in world markets had impacted domestic US copper production, leaving weapons systems and other critical products dependent on imports.

3. The officials, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said it was premature to discuss a potential rate for the tariffs.

4. Peter Navarro, a Trump trade adviser, singled out China, saying it had “long used industrial overcapacity and dumping as an economic weapon to dominate global markets, systematically undercutting competitors and driving rival industries out of business.”

5. The US consumed about 1.6 million tons of refined copper in 2024, according to the US Geological Survey. While the US has significant mines, producing some 850,000 tons of primary copper last year, it still relies on imports from key trade allies to fill the need. Chile is the largest import source, accounting for 38% of total import volumes, followed by Canada and Mexico at 28% and 8%, respectively.