Does the US not need copper? 50% basically kills trade. Who will agree to pay that kind of increase?

Copper is still desperately needed by the US and can’t be replaced by something else.As usual USA makes no sense. They have little copper deposits themselves and no matter what they do, they need to import it. In fact copper is a good item to apply EXPORT tariffs to punishing the US. USA copper industry is well connected to the Trump Admin. They can now name their price.It’s so ironic that most of the Chilean copper mines are owned by a group from Oklahoma. They keep saying that imports are not that big compared to the rest of your economy but the local suppliers and manufacturers will now be able to raise their prices on anything that they are competing with from overseas. Locally sourced copper, wood products, appliances, etc. will be getting more expensive as they take advantage of the situation.

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tenente · 36-40, M

agree. 50% tariff feels like swinging a sledgehammer when the job needs a wrench. Copper’s critical and the irony of Oklahoma-linked Chilean mines just makes this mess extra crazy. Now domestic suppliers can practically write their own price tags. It’s gonna ripple hard through manufacturing.

Source: am co-owner / operator of metal fab business

Khenpal1 · M

@tenente Copper tariffs was expected by industry , they bought extra. But price is not going to go down anytime soon.

Khenpal1 · M

@tenente my understanding is the US cannot produce MORE copper as the smelters are all working full on and new plant will take two years to build. if this is the case, how in merry hell will this not adversely impact US businesses ? This seems a huge own goal.( as usual )Buying an entire machine from china will be much cheaper than buying a machine with 50% copper tariff from usa. This is going to stop half the construction project in the U.S. dead. The manufacturers will declare force majeur, reprice all their orders to the new prices, and the owners and contractors will get jammed with this. Building permits are going to come to a halt.