US President Donald Trump launches a probe into the need for tariffs on critical minerals
US President Donald Trump launched a probe into the need for tariffs on critical minerals, the latest move in an escalating trade war that has targeted key sectors of the global economy, per Bloomberg.
The order, signed by Trump on Tuesday, calls for the Commerce secretary to initiate a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to “evaluate the impact of imports of these materials on America’s security and resilience,” according to a White House fact sheet.
If the secretary concludes that imports of critical minerals may “impair national security and the President decides to impose tariffs,” they would replace Trump's reciprocal taxes on US trade partners this month.
Market reaction
At the time of press, the US Dollar Index was down 0.12% on the day at 100.05.
Tariffs FAQs
Tariffs are customs duties levied on certain merchandise imports or a category of products. Tariffs are designed to help local producers and manufacturers be more competitive in the market by providing a price advantage over similar goods that can be imported. Tariffs are widely used as tools of protectionism, along with trade barriers and import quotas.
Although tariffs and taxes both generate government revenue to fund public goods and services, they have several distinctions. Tariffs are prepaid at the port of entry, while taxes are paid at the time of purchase. Taxes are imposed on individual taxpayers and businesses, while tariffs are paid by importers.
There are two schools of thought among economists regarding the usage of tariffs. While some argue that tariffs are necessary to protect domestic industries and address trade imbalances, others see them as a harmful tool that could potentially drive prices higher over the long term and lead to a damaging trade war by encouraging tit-for-tat tariffs.
During the run-up to the presidential election in November 2024, Donald Trump made it clear that he intends to use tariffs to support the US economy and American producers. In 2024, Mexico, China and Canada accounted for 42% of total US imports. In this period, Mexico stood out as the top exporter with $466.6 billion, according to the US Census Bureau. Hence, Trump wants to focus on these three nations when imposing tariffs. He also plans to use the revenue generated through tariffs to lower personal income taxes.