On Friday, President Trump told steelworkers in Pennsylvania that he is increasing the tax on imported steel to 50%. He said this is to protect their industry. This big increase might cause the prices of things like cars and houses to go up.

He later said on his Truth Social account that taxes on imported aluminum would also increase to 50%. He added that both of these tax increases would start on Wednesday.

Trump gave a speech at the U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh. He also talked about a future deal where Japan's Nippon Steel will invest in the famous American steel company. More details about this deal will be shared later.

When Trump got back to Washington, he told reporters that he still needed to approve the deal.

He said he still needed to approve the final agreement with Nippon. They hadn't seen it yet, even though Nippon had made a very big promise and a large investment.

Although Trump initially said he would stop the Japanese steel company from buying U.S. Steel, he changed his mind and announced last week that Nippon would own part of the company.

It's still uncertain if the agreement his administration helped arrange is finished, or how the ownership will be set up. Nippon Steel hasn't said they are withdrawing their offer to completely buy and control U.S. Steel as a fully owned company. They also offered to invest more money in U.S. Steel factories and promised not to fire workers or close plants while waiting for federal approval of the acquisition.

Today, we are celebrating an important agreement that will make sure this well-known American company stays American," Trump said when he started an event at a U.S. Steel building. "You will continue to be an American company, right?

Regarding the tariffs, Trump said that doubling the taxes on imported steel "will make the steel industry in the U.S. even safer." However, such a big increase could make prices rise even more.

Government information shows that steel prices have gone up by 16% since President Trump started his term in January.

In March 2025, steel cost $984 per metric ton in the United States. This was much more expensive than in Europe ($690) or China ($392), according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Last year, the U.S. produced about three times more steel than it bought from other countries. The main countries that sold steel to the U.S. were Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea.

Experts think that tariffs from Trump's first term made the American steel industry stronger. Nippon Steel wanted to use this to their advantage when they offered to buy U.S. Steel.

The United Steelworkers union continued to have doubts.

David McCall, the president of the union, said that they are very concerned about how this merger of U.S. Steel with a foreign company will affect national security, their members, and the communities where they live and work.

Trump emphasized that the agreement would keep the well-known company under American control. He believes it's important for politics, the country's supply chains, industries such as car manufacturing, and national security.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has wanted to make deals and announce new investments in the U.S. He is also trying to please the voters who elected him, especially blue-collar workers who supported his promise to protect American manufacturing.

Neither U.S. Steel nor Nippon Steel has told investors the details of their new agreement. Although Nippon Steel said they approve of the partnership, they haven't shared the terms.

State and federal politicians who know about the situation say that Nippon will buy U.S. Steel. They also plan to invest billions in U.S. Steel's factories in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, and Minnesota. The company would be run by a leadership team and board mostly made up of Americans, and the U.S. government could stop important decisions if needed.

The steelworkers' union members initially had different opinions about Nippon Steel's purchase. However, their views changed as they became more certain that U.S. Steel would eventually close its factories near Pittsburgh.

Clifford Hammonds, who works on the production line at the factory where Trump spoke, said that the deal will at least help improve the old factory and increase production.

Hammonds explained that they are putting money back into the factory to fix its old buildings and machines. He said the factory is old and breaking down, which means they are not making as many products as they should. He emphasized that they need some investment to repair the machines they currently use.

This issue is very important to Trump. Last year, he often said he would stop the deal and prevent foreign companies from owning U.S. Steel. Former President Joe Biden also agreed with this.

During his campaign, Trump promised to make American manufacturing strong again if he won a second term. The situation with U.S. Steel, which used to be the world's biggest company, could cause problems for his Republican Party in upcoming elections, especially in Pennsylvania and other important states that rely on manufacturing.

Trump said on Sunday that he would not approve the deal if U.S. Steel was not owned by Americans. He also said the company would keep its main office in Pittsburgh.

The president concluded his address on Friday by expressing gratitude to the steelworkers.

He said, "With the help of people like you who love our country, we will make our own metal, get our own energy, and make sure our future is safe. We will build our country and decide what happens to us." He added, "We will use Pennsylvania steel to make America strong again, even more than before."

Recently, Trump and other U.S. officials have been talking about Nippon Steel's plan to invest an extra $14 billion, in addition to their $14.9 billion offer. This investment includes building a new electric arc furnace steel factory somewhere in the U.S.

On Friday, several U.S. Steel workers joined him on stage, including Jason Zugai. He is a vice president at the local Steelworkers union at the Irvin plant. This local union supported Nippon Steel's offer to buy U.S. Steel, even though the international union disagreed.

Zugai's father had lost his job at a steel factory years before. Zugai then asked local politicians and members of Congress to support the agreement. He thought that if the deal didn't happen, U.S. Steel would likely close its factories near Pittsburgh.

Zugai told Trump he was confident Trump would not disappoint them. He also said that Nippon Steel's plan to invest $14 billion in American steel production would greatly change things for the better.