USA DAZI on steel and aluminum at 50%, how much will they impact on Italy? Questions and answers

In a speech held at the Irvin Works plant in the US Steel, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvaniaon May 30 the President Donald Trump He announced the doubling of the rates on the imports of steel and aluminum, bringing them from 25% to 50% starting from June 4th. The decision, presented as a bulwark in defense of American steel industry, will have an impact on Europe and Italy. To try to understand the scope, we asked some questions to Antonio Gozzipresident of Federacciai, and ad Orazio Zoccolangeneral manager of Assomet, the association that brings together non -ferrous metals producers such as aluminum, copper, zinc, nickel, tin and magnesium.

1. Antonio Gozzi, on which products will the duties apply?
«As for steel, on semi -finished products such as coils (plain sheet metal rolls), sheets, tubes. For aluminum, extruded and laminated ».

2. These are new rates?
« No, it is a doubling of those at 25% existing since 2018, a situation that has never changed except for a short exemption introduced by Joe Biden for a minimum quantity ».

2. These are new rates?
«They made Italian exports drop, which from over 708 thousand tons of 2018 passed to 287 thousand tons in 2024, according to Federacciai data. Export that has been diverted to other countries that have so far absorbed Italian production ».

4. What will happen now?
« First we see if they will be confirmed because I have the feeling that it is a move that is part of the negotiation with the European Union ».

5. If the increase is confirmed what will happen?
« Italian steel exports will be reduced to the USA which could almost disappear. »

6. How much are the USA for Italian steel?
«They represent a small part of Italian steel exports: from 2018 to 2024 they have slipped from the week to the fifteenth position. The first five foreign markets are Germany, France, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria ».

7. How much steel exports the EU to the US?
« The United States represent the second foreign market for European steel: in 2024 they bought 16% of the EU’s total exports ».

8. What is the largest concern for the Italian and European steel sector?
« The increase in the flow of foreign steel in Europe since in 2024 the United States imported about 23 million tons of steel products from third countries, excluding the EU. Now, these volumes risk being diverted to the European Union, which is one of the most open areas in the world. In fact, Brussels does not impose rates on the import of steel, but only shares. Thus arrives tens of millions of tons of imports from outside, from countries that moreover do not pay the tax on CO2 ».

9. Where could the invasion of steel come from in Europe come from?
« Especially from China where exports are subsidized. »

10. Orazio Zoccolan, as regards aluminum instead?
« When duties were put to 25% in 2018 we saw that the quantities did not decrease and that the US market was able to absorb the increase in prices. »

11. What does Italy export?
« Quality, innovative and niche semi -finished products, especially extruded and then laminates used in construction, in transport (light and heavy vehicles) and in other minor uses ».

12. What will happen now?
« With 50% duties, the impact on aluminum exports could be remarkable, I don’t know how far the US market will be able to withstand the increase in prices, but Italy in the USA exports little ».

13. Are there alternative aluminum outlet markets?
«The bulk of Italian production is sold in Italy and exports remain for a large part in Europe. The first foreign market is Germany, « concludes Zoccolan.