Where does the US get its steel and aluminum from?

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - China is the world’s largest steel producer and exporter. — Reuters pic

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 — US President Donald Trump substantially raised tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Monday to a flat 25 per cent “without exceptions or exemptions” in a move he hopes will aid the struggling industries in the United States but which also risks sparking a multi-front trade war

.Here’s a summary of the major trade partners it will affect.

Steel

Roughly a quarter of all steel used in the United States is imported, the bulk of it from neighbours Mexico and Canada or close allies in Asia and Europe such as Japan, South Korea and Germany.

While China is the world’s largest steel producer and exporter, very little is sent to the United States. Tariffs of 25 per cent imposed in 2018 shut most Chinese steel out of the market.

China exported 508,000 net tons of steel to the US last year or 1.8 per cent of total American steel imports.

Aluminum

In the case of aluminum, the US is more heavily reliant on imports.

Roughly half of all aluminum used in the US is imported.

The vast majority comes from neighbour Canada.

At 3.2 million tons last year, Canadian imports were twice those of the next nine countries combined.

The next largest sources of imports are the United Arab Emirates and China, at 347,034 and 222,872 metric tons, respectively.

The US aluminum smelting industry is small by global standards. Total smelter capacity in the country was just 1.73 per cent of the global total according to the US. Geological Survey. — Reuters