Trump imposes 50% tariff on copper imports, White House says

(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation ordering 50% tariffs on certain copper imports, citing national security, the White House said.

The proclamation imposes a 50% tariff on semi-finished copper products and copper-intensive derivative products as of August 1, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.

The tariffs will exclude copper scrap and copper input materials such as copper ores, concentrates, mattes, cathodes, and anodes, the statement said.

The measure came after a U.S. investigation under Section 323, which U.S. President Donald Trump ordered in February.

Along with tariffs, the order calls for steps to support the domestic copper industry, including requiring 25% of high-quality scrap produced in the U.S. to also be sold within the country.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Writing by Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; editing by Susan Heavey and Marguerita Choy)