Washington Considers Taxing Copper Imports to Protect National Security

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday authorizing his Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, to determine whether tariffs might be necessary on copper imports, citing a national security risk. " Copper is a critical metal , and its supply is essential to our national security," the president said in the Oval Office, "but the dumping of foreign copper into the U.S. market has severely impacted domestic production."

"I will launch an investigation into the need for potential tariffs. American industries depend on copper and must be able to obtain it from the United States, without exception," Howard Lutnick declared.

For the Secretary of Commerce, "customs duties must allow us to rebuild our copper industry, if that proves necessary, and strengthen our national defense."

The investigation is expected to be conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, a 1962 law that gives the executive branch the power to negotiate or impose tariffs. Section 232 allows the president, on the recommendation of the Commerce Department, to impose tariffs on products that pose a potential risk to national security.

The White House does not hide, however, that this investigation is primarily aimed at China, which it accuses, once again, of overproduction in order to kill foreign competition. "China has a long history of using overproduction as an economic weapon to dominate global markets and systematically endanger its competitors, then consolidate a market once competition has collapsed," denounced Donald Trump's trade advisor, Peter Navarro, during a telephone press briefing.

The Commerce Department now has 270 days to complete its investigation and submit its report to the president, who will then decide whether to impose tariffs.

According to data from the government's geological service, the United States imports about 45% of its copper consumption annually, with imports coming primarily from Chile and Canada. In 2024, the United States imported nearly 800,000 tons of processed copper, while its domestic production represented 850,000 tons. Globally, China is the world's fourth-largest copper producer, behind Chile, Peru and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, with the United States rounding out the top five.

The metal is used in the defense industry, particularly for the production of aircraft, but also for the production of electrical cables or in data centers. According to Peter Navarro, the United States has one of the largest copper reserves in the world, "our potential in this area is untapped."