Rising costs vs rising revenues – the paradox of the new 50% steel and aluminium derivative tariffs

Six months into Donald Trump’s 2025 tariff regime and it seems to be a never-ending roller-coaster journey with new sets coming in. So, what’s the update this time? More than 400 additional aluminium and steel product categories have come under the fold of 50 per cent tariffs.

What are included? Auto parts, auto components, railcars construction materials, wind turbines specialty chemicals, and household items like refrigerators, freezers, dryers, and furniture components. In short, anything that contains or is contained in aluminium and steel. Brian Baldwin, vice president of customs at Kuehne + Nagel International AG, quipped anything and everything that looks shiny, metallic, or remotely like aluminium or steel, is included in the new list of product categories hit by tariffs.