On the 19th, the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a notice announcing that 407 categories of steel and aluminum-derived products would be added to the tariff list, subject to a 50% tariff rate. Many companies are concerned that this move by the U.S. side will drive up costs and deal a severe blow to their profit margins.

Jeffrey Kessler, Under Secretary for Industry and Security at the U.S. Department of Commerce, stated that the U.S. move has expanded the scope of steel and aluminum tariffs. According to the announcement, the newly added list covers a wide range of products, including wind turbines and components, mobile cranes, bulldozers and other heavy equipment, rail vehicles, compressors, and pumps, among others. Brian Baldwin, Vice President in charge of customs affairs at DSV International, headquartered in Switzerland, said that the 50% tariff will deal a severe blow, adding that the U.S. move is not merely a matter of tariffs—it also signals a strategic shift in the U.S.'s regulatory approach to steel and aluminum-derived products.

Jason Miller, a professor at Michigan State University in the United States, said that according to his calculations, based on the total value of imports in 2024, U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs currently affect at least $320 billion worth of imported goods. Expanding the scope of the steel and aluminum tariff list would further increase inflationary pressures by driving up prices.

Starting June 4, the United States raised tariffs on steel and aluminum products imported from all trading partners except the UK—from 25% to 50%, drawing opposition and criticism from numerous countries.