President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from all nations on Monday as part of an early-term blitz on trade.

U.S. levies on the metals are not unusual but the sweep of the action is notable, going beyond nations considered rivals and impacting metals from places like Canada, Brazil and South Korea.

“This is a big deal. This the beginning of making America rich again,” Mr. Trump said. “We were being pummeled by both friends and foe alike, our nation requires steel and aluminum to be made in America, not in foreign lands.”

The tariffs are part of an aggressive trade agenda in Mr. Trump’s first weeks that included a broad 10% tariff on Chinese goods and threats to impose higher levies on Canada and Mexico if they don’t crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking. 

Later this week, Mr. Trump plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on nations that tax U.S. goods.

Mr. Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminum during his first term, though some friendly nations got a carveout from the levies.

The new tariffs apply to incoming steel from all nations, though are aimed in large part at China. 

The Asian superpower is suffering from a housing crash and is sending excess steel abroad at low prices. The steel doesn’t always reach the U.S. directly but instead goes to other countries, which in turn send their own, pricier steel to American buyers.

China’s foreign ministry did not respond directly to Mr. Trump’s decision Monday but condemned U.S. trade actions generally.

“Let me stress that protectionism leads nowhere, and trade and tariff wars have no winners,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

Tariffs are a form of tax or duty paid by importers on the goods they bring in from foreign markets. 

Mr. Trump says tariffs force companies to return to America or keep their operations in the U.S., employ American workers and create revenue to fund domestic programs. 

Presidents can impose tariffs without Congress in certain situations, such as to protect national security or address international emergencies. 

Protecting the steel industry is a cornerstone of Mr. Trump’s America-first pitch to blue-collar workers. 

During the campaign, he echoed President Biden in opposing a Japanese company’s takeover of U.S. Steel, an iconic American company.

“All you have to do is make it in the United States, we don’t need it from another country,” Mr. Trump said. “So essentially we’re putting on a 25% tariff, without exception, on all aluminum and all steel.”

United Steelworkers, a union representing 850,000 workers in metals, mining and other industries, said it appreciated Mr. Trump’s effort to clamp down on overcapacity from “bad actors” like China, but it felt the levies on Canada were unnecessary.

“We must distinguish between trusted trade partners, like Canada, and those who are seeking to undercut our industries as they work to dominate the global market,” USW International President David McCall said. “Canada is not the problem. Indeed, Canada has taken steps to coordinate their trade policies with the U.S. to respond to unfair foreign trade, and applying across-the-board tariffs ultimately hurts workers on both sides of the border.”

The U.S. relied on tariffs as a primary source of government revenue until the federal income tax was imposed in the early 20th century.

However, tariffs can also result in higher prices along the supply chain.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute, an advocacy group, said tariffs might create some jobs in metals industries but would result in reduced competition and higher prices, harming sectors that use the metals for things like automobiles and housing.

“Even as an election-year stunt to appeal to Pennsylvania and Ohio voters, the math doesn’t add up,” CEI senior economist Ryan Young said. “There are more people working as manicurists than in the steel and aluminum industries combined. With the election over, the tariffs now make even less sense.”

• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.