Trump tells US steelworkers he will double tariffs on foreign steel to 50 pc
West Mifflin (Pennsylvania) (AP): US President Donald Trump on Friday told Pennsylvania steelworkers he's doubling the tariff on steel imports to 50 per cent to protect their industry, a dramatic increase that could further push up prices for a metal used to make housing, autos and other goods.
In a post later on his Truth Social platform, he added that aluminum tariffs would also be doubled to 50 per cent, and both tariff hikes would go into effect Wednesday.
Trump spoke at US Steel's Mon Valley Works–Irvin plant in suburban Pittsburgh, where he also discussed a details-to-come deal under which Japan's Nippon Steel will invest in the iconic American steelmaker.
Though Trump initially vowed to block the Japanese steelmaker's bid to buy Pittsburgh-based US Steel, he reversed course and announced an agreement last week for what he described as “partial ownership” by Nippon.
It's unclear, though, if the deal his administration helped broker has been finalised or how ownership would be structured.
“We're here today to celebrate a blockbuster agreement that will ensure this storied American company stays an American company,” Trump said as he opened an event at one of US Steel's warehouses.
“You're going to stay an American company, you know that, right?”
As for the tariffs, Trump said doubling the levies on imported steel “will even further secure the steel industry in the US".
But such a dramatic increase could push prices even higher.
Steel prices have climbed 16 per cent since Trump became president in mid-January, according to the government's Producer Price Index.
As of March 2025, steel cost USD 984 a metric tonne in the United States, significantly more than the price in Europe (USD 690) or China (USD 392), according to the US Commerce Department.
The United States produced about three times more steel than it imported last year, with Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea being the largest sources of steel imports.
Analysts have credited tariffs going back to Trump's first term with helping strengthen the domestic steel industry, something that Nippon Steel wanted to capitalise on in its offer to buy US Steel.
The United Steelworkers union remained skeptical of Nippon's investment.
Its president, David McCall, said in a statement that the union is most concerned “with the impact that this merger of U. Steel into a foreign competitor will have on national security, our members and the communities where we live and work".
Trump stressed the deal would maintain American control of the storied company, which is seen as both a political symbol and an important matter for the country's supply chain, industries like auto manufacturing and national security.
Trump, who has been eager to strike deals and announce new investments in the US since retaking the White House, is also trying to satisfy voters, including blue-collar workers, who elected him as he called to protect US manufacturing.
US Steel has not publicly communicated any details of a revamped deal to investors. Nippon Steel, which issued a statement approving of the proposed “partnership”, has also not disclosed terms of the arrangement.
State and federal lawmakers briefed on the matter describe a deal in which Nippon will buy US Steel and spend billions on US Steel facilities in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas and Minnesota.
The company would be overseen by an executive suite and board made up mostly of Americans and protected by the U.S. government's veto power in the form of a “golden share.”
Unionised steelworkers said there is some split opinion in the ranks over Nippon Steel's acquisition, but that sentiment has shifted over time as they became more convinced that US Steel would eventually shut down their Pittsburgh-area plants.
No matter the terms, the issue has outsized importance for Trump, who last year repeatedly said he would block the deal and foreign ownership of US Steel, as did former president Joe Biden.
Trump promised during the campaign to make the revitalisation of American manufacturing a priority of his second term in office.
And the fate of US Steel, once the world's largest corporation, could become a political liability in the midterm elections for his Republican Party in the swing state of Pennsylvania and other battleground states dependent on industrial manufacturing.
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Man chased, brutally stabbed inside public toilet in northwest Delhi; one arrested; juvenile held
New Delhi (PTI): An alleged road rage incident took a fatal turn when a 27-year-old factory worker was chased down by assailants and stabbed multiple times inside a public toilet in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar area, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the incident took place on Wednesday night, when witnesses saw the victim, Santosh Kumar, running into a public toilet in a desperate bid to save his life, with his attackers hot on his heels.
"A PCR call was received at 6:23 pm on April 8 regarding a man being stabbed inside the compound of a Sulabh Sauchalaya located at the fish market in Wazirpur Industrial Area," a senior police officer said.
A police team rushed to the spot and found the victim lying in a pool of blood inside the toilet premises. The victim, originally from Nepal, was residing in Macchi Market area, the official said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the incident stemmed from an altercation between the victim and a motorcycle rider. The verbal spat soon escalated into a physical scuffle, during which the accused, along with an associate, allegedly attacked Santosh with a knife.
Police sources said in a desperate attempt to save himself, the injured victim ran towards the nearby public toilet and tried to latch the door from inside. Eyewitness accounts suggest he tried to take refuge inside the public toilet and shut the door to prevent his attackers from entering. However, he was chased down, overpowered, and stabbed multiple times.
Santosh collapsed on the spot, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.
A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intentions) was registered at Ashok Vihar police station and an investigation was taken up.
During the probe, police arrested one accused identified as Tanish (19), a resident of CSA Colony in Macchi Market area, and apprehended a juvenile allegedly involved in the incident.
Police said the motorcycle used by the accused, which they had abandoned while fleeing after the attack, was recovered near the crime scene.
Family members and acquaintances of the deceased expressed shock over the killing. Santosh's uncle, who reached the spot after being informed, recounted the scene.
"When I came here, I saw him lying on the floor, dead. I noticed that he had been stabbed twice. I am not aware of what exactly happened. He was just 27 years old and used to work in a steel company with me. I don't know how many people were involved in the attack. We are from Nepal, and I have been working here for 15 years. I think he was stabbed outside and later came inside the toilet to save himself. There was a bike outside which I think belonged to the attackers," he said.
Police said the motive behind the crime appears to be road rage -- a sudden and heated altercation on the road that spiralled into a violent assault resulting in the victim's death.
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend any other persons involved in the attack. Police teams are analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area and examining local witnesses to piece together the sequence of events.
