According to CCTV News, on Tuesday, August 19th (local time), the US Department of Commerce officially announced the addition of 407 product categories to the steel and aluminum tariff list, with a 50% tariff. The US Department of Commerce also confirmed the same day that the new tariffs took effect on Monday, August 18th, significantly expanding the scope of tariffs previously imposed by the Trump administration on key commodities such as steel and aluminum.
It is worth noting that the published list only identifies the newly added products by their specific customs codes, not by their names.
For example, fire extinguishers are listed simply as “8424.10.0000,” one of hundreds of 10-digit codes. This presentation makes it difficult for the public to fully understand which products are affected by this round of tariff expansion.
In terms of product categories, the newly added list covers a wide range, encompassing large industrial equipment like wind turbines and their components, mobile cranes, and railcars, as well as everyday industrial and consumer products like furniture, compressors, and pumps. These products are either made entirely of steel and aluminum or contain steel and aluminum components, and are subject to tariffs due to their properties.
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Tariffs are increasing, and US manufacturing is the first to be affected.
This policy adjustment is not an isolated one. In June of this year, the Trump administration announced an increase in tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, and their derivatives from 25% to 50%. The addition of 407 derivatives to the list further expands this policy.
From a US perspective, the backlash of this policy is already beginning to emerge. The US manufacturing industry is highly dependent on imported steel and aluminum, especially in the semi-finished steel slab sector, where there is a structural supply gap of approximately 5 million tons, requiring significant imports from countries like Brazil.
The increased tariffs have directly driven up raw material costs. Combined with market volatility, Cleveland-Cliffs, a major US steel producer, halted production at three facilities at the end of June. It also suffered a $470 million loss in the second quarter of 2025 and is currently selling assets to offset the losses. Multiple media outlets have speculated that US manufacturing may face a prolonged double whammy of rising production costs and tariff pressure.
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South Korea’s Export Categories Worth Over 10 Billion US Dollars Affected
Among the affected economies globally, South Korea faces a particularly severe situation. The 407 categories subject to US tariffs are mostly key South Korean exports to the US, even including some aluminum cosmetic containers. According to the Korea International Trade Association, these categories accounted for a total of $11.89 billion in exports to the US last year, representing a significant portion of South Korea’s exports to the US.
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Response Strategies for Chinese Exporters
As a major manufacturing nation, China holds a crucial position in the global industrial chain. The list of products subject to US tariffs includes numerous categories in which China has an export advantage.
This undoubtedly presents significant challenges for these exporters. Many companies already have slim profit margins, and a 50% tariff far exceeds their margins. This leaves them facing a difficult choice: either significantly raise product prices and lose market competitiveness, or bear the tariff costs themselves and suffer losses.
For relevant Chinese industries, on the one hand, they need to accelerate industrial upgrading, increase product value-added, and reduce reliance on price advantages to mitigate the impact of tariffs on profits. On the other hand, actively exploring other overseas markets and reducing dependence on the single US market is also crucial. At the same time, the government may also introduce corresponding policies to help companies cope with this crisis.
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