Trump Says 50% Tariffs on Copper Imports Will Start Aug. 1

Link copied

Trump Says 50% Tariffs on Copper Imports Will Start Aug. 1

general :: 2025-07-10 :: source - investopedia

By Nisha Gopalan

Copper prices have been rising on President Trump's tariff threats and AI data center demand. Sirisak Boakaew / Moment / Getty Images

President Donald Trump said that his 50% tariff on copper imports will take effect on Aug. 1, noting he made the decision on the key metal after a national security assessment.

"I am announcing a 50% TARIFF on Copper, effective August 1, 2025, after receiving a robust NATIONAL SECURITY ASSESSMENT," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social network. "Copper is necessary for Semiconductors, Aircraft, Ships, Ammunition, Data Centers, Lithium-ion Batteries, Radar Systems, Missile Defense Systems, and even, Hypersonic Weapons, of which we are building many. Copper is the second most used material by the Department of Defense!"

Copper on New York's Comex hit a record of more than $5.68 per pound yesterday and recently was trading at around $5.60 per pound. Prices have been rising on Trump's earlier threat to impose tariffs as well as surging demand for the metal to power AI data centers.

READ: What To Expect From the Stock Market in the Second Half of 2025

U.S. stock futures are pointing slightly lower after the Nasdaq closed at a record high Wednesday as AI star Nvidia (NVDA) briefly became the first company to breach the $4 trillion market value threshold. Nasdaq futures are ticking down 0.1%, while S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are 0.2% lower.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index is 0.6% higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed up 0.6%, but Japan's Nikkei ended 0.4% lower. The 10-year Treasury yield is slightly higher at nearly 4.35%. The dollar is falling against the euro, pound, and yen. Bitcoin is slightly lower after setting a new all-time high above $112,000 yesterday.

Source: Investopedia