U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will impose a 50% tariff on all copper imports beginning Aug. 1, 2025, after concluding a Section 232 national-security probe into the metal. The measure, announced on Trump’s social-media account and confirmed by the White House, is aimed at reviving domestic production of a material he called essential for semiconductors, defense systems and the power grid. Copper is the third-most-consumed metal in the United States, which imports about half of its needs—some US$17 billion worth last year—mostly from Chile, Canada and Mexico. Trump argued that foreign supply threatens national security and vowed the tariff will help “build a dominant U.S. copper industry.” Comex copper futures surged roughly 12% to an all-time high after the announcement, widening the premium on U.S. prices over the London Metal Exchange and rattling manufacturers from electric-vehicle makers to construction firms that rely on the metal. The copper duty forms part of a broader escalation of Trump’s trade policy. He also warned that pharmaceutical imports could face tariffs of up to 200% after a one-year to 18-month grace period meant to encourage onshoring, and he has ordered a separate 50% levy on goods from Brazil starting Aug. 1. Trading partners have begun weighing potential responses as businesses rush to ship metal ahead of the new border tax.