NEW YORK — President Donald Trump adjusted tariffs on some steel, aluminum, and copper imports on June 2, 2026, lowering rates for specific categories of equipment and setting new criteria for reduced duties. The changes went into effect the same day and are scheduled to expire at the end of 2027.
Trump reduced the tariff rate on agricultural equipment, including combines and harvesters, to 15% from 25%. He also lowered tariffs on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to 15% from the previous 25% rate. In addition, the president expanded the category of industrial machinery eligible for a 15% tariff to include mobile industrial equipment such as bulldozers and forklifts—but only when imported from countries that have a trade agreement with the United States.
Countries exporting steel or aluminum products that use at least 85% melted and poured or smelted and cast metal by weight may qualify for an even lower duty rate of 10%, according to the executive order. This provision creates a tiered structure within the broader tariff framework based on production methods and trade relationships. “In my judgment, this temporary modification appropriately accounts for these products’ roles in productive economic activity in the United States,” Trump said in his order.
The June 2026 adjustments follow a series of earlier actions on metals tariffs. Trump first imposed tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper imports in 2018 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which permits duties on imports considered a threat to national security. He renewed those tariffs in April 2025. In June 2025, he increased nearly all steel and aluminum import tariffs to 50% from 25%. By April 2026, he had established a flat 50% tariff for goods made entirely or almost entirely of those metals, such as steel coils or aluminum sheet, while setting a 25% rate for derivative products deemed “substantially” composed of steel, aluminum, or copper.