On Friday, President Trump told steelworkers in Pennsylvania that he will double the tax on steel from other countries to 50%. He wants to help their industry. This might make steel more expensive. Steel is used to build houses, cars, and other things.

Later, he wrote on his social media page that taxes on aluminum would also go up to 50%. He said these new taxes would begin on Wednesday.

Trump gave a speech at a steel factory near Pittsburgh. He talked about a new deal where a Japanese company will invest in the American steel company. More information about this deal will be available later.

Trump told reporters when he got back to Washington that he still needed to say yes to the deal.

I need to say yes to the final deal with Nippon, but we haven't seen it yet. He said they have promised a lot of money, and it's a very big project.

Trump first said he would stop a Japanese company from buying U.S. Steel. But then he changed his mind. Last week, he said they had agreed that the Japanese company, Nippon, could own part of U.S. Steel.

We don't know if the deal his government helped with is finished, or who will own the company. Nippon Steel still wants to buy U.S. Steel completely. They also promised to invest more money in U.S. Steel factories and said they would not fire workers or close factories. They did this to get the government's approval for the purchase.

Today, we are here to celebrate an important agreement. This agreement will make sure that this well-known American company, U.S. Steel, stays an American company. Trump said this at an event in one of their big storage buildings. He also asked, "You will stay an American company, right?"

Trump said that if they double the tax on steel from other countries, it will make the US steel industry much safer. But this big tax increase could make prices go up a lot.

The price of steel has gone up by 16% since Trump became president in January, according to a government report.

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

Experts say that new taxes on steel, which started when Trump was president, helped the steel industry in the US. Nippon Steel wanted to use this good situation when they offered to buy U.S. Steel.

The Steelworkers union still had some doubts.

David McCall, who is the union's leader, said they are worried about the country's safety, their members, and the towns where they live and work if U.S. Steel joins a company from another country.

Trump said the deal would keep the famous company under American control. This company is important for politics, for the country's supplies, for making cars, and for national safety.

Trump wants to make deals and announce new investments in the U.S. He also wants to make voters happy, especially workers who voted for him, because he promised to protect American factories.

U.S. Steel has not told its investors about the new plan for the deal. Nippon Steel said they like the idea of working together, but they have not shared the details either.

Politicians who know about the plan say that Nippon will buy U.S. Steel. Nippon will also spend a lot of money on U.S. Steel's factories in some states. Most of the important people in the company will be Americans. The U.S. government will have the power to stop some decisions.

The steelworkers in the union had different ideas about Nippon Steel buying U.S. Steel at first. But over time, they started to agree more with the sale. They believed that U.S. Steel would close its factories near Pittsburgh anyway.

Clifford Hammonds works at the factory where Trump spoke. He said the deal will probably help improve the old factory and make it produce more.

"We are using money to fix the factory and make it better. It's old and needs repairs. We aren't making enough things here because the factory is old and broken. We need to spend money to repair the machines we use," said Hammonds.

This issue is very important for Trump. Last year, he often said he would stop the deal and not let foreign companies own U.S. Steel. The former president, Joe Biden, also said this.

Trump said he would make American factories strong again if he won a second time. The future of U.S. Steel, a very big company, might cause problems for his party in the next elections. This is important in Pennsylvania and other states that have many factories.

Trump said on Sunday that he would not accept the deal if U.S. Steel was not owned by Americans. He also said that the company's main office will stay in Pittsburgh.

The president finished his speech on Friday by thanking the people who work with steel.

He said, "With your help, we will make our own metal and energy. We will make our future safe, build our country, and decide our own future." He added, "We will use Pennsylvania steel to make America strong again, more than ever before."

Recently, Trump and other U.S. officials started to talk about Nippon Steel's plan to put more money into the U.S. They will invest an extra $14 billion, and they already offered $14.9 billion. They also want to build a new steel factory in the U.S. that uses electricity.

On Friday, some U.S. Steel workers were on stage with him. One of them was Jason Zugai, who is a local leader at the Irvin factory. His local group of workers wanted Nippon Steel to buy U.S. Steel, even though the main international union did not agree.

Zugai's father lost his job at a steel factory many years ago. Because of this, Zugai talked to local leaders and politicians to get their support for the deal. He believed that U.S. Steel would close its factories near Pittsburgh if they did not help.

Zugai told Trump he knew Trump would help them. He also said that Nippon Steel's plan to put $14 billion into making steel in the U.S. would be very important for many people.