Washington: The US leader announced a 50 percent tariff on imported copper, effective August 1, citing national security concerns, just one day after signaling that he would raise the tariffs. President Donald Trump posted on his social media account Truth Social on Tuesday local time that he had received a complete national security assessment that new tariffs on copper were needed to protect copper production in the United States. He said copper is critical to many industries, including semiconductors, aircraft, data centers, lithium-ion batteries, and defense systems. It is the second-largest material used by the US Department of Defense.

According to Thai News Agency, the United States imports nearly half of its refined copper consumption, importing 810,000 tons last year, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. Raising tariffs on imported copper to 50 percent would benefit U.S. copper production, where more than two-thirds of the country’s copper is mined in Arizona.

The countries most likely to be hit by a 50 percent copper tariff are Chile, Canada, and Mexico, as they are major exporters to the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. These countries have previously told the U.S. government that their copper exports do not pose a threat to U.S. interests and should not be subject to tariffs because they have free trade agreements with the United States.

Data from the US Department of Commerce in 2025 showed that last year, the US imported 21,000 tons of copper from Thailand, ranking 62nd, lower than ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, from which the US imported 128,000 tons, Malaysia 50,000 tons, Indonesia 47,000 tons, the Philippines 24,000 tons, and Singapore 23,000 tons.