Steel and Aluminum Tariffs 2025

The current administration has issued a new executive order expanding the existing tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. As of now, these go into effect March 12, 2025.

The United States' specialty stainless steel industry has long been supplied by European mills. Our mills currently don't have the capacity or ability to produce the highly processed specialty alloys needed to supply our medical and aerospace industries. This is expected to affect costs within the medical, aerospace, and defense industries.

Key Changes That Affect Specialty Metals:

• Quotas and Exemptions to the existing tariffs are no longer an option.
• Quality, Availability and National Security concerns are no longer considered as valid reasons for exceptions (Proclamation Section 17)
• No new exclusions will be authorized for these tariffs.

How This Might Affect You

• Prices may rise: This has already been seen in the last two weeks, sometimes as much as 30% as mills look to adapt to future market conditions.
• Lead times may be unpredictable: Lead times at American mills capable of producing implant grade stainless steel are already long. They may grow.
• Quotes will be valid for short periods: The material cost you factor into your estimates may not be the cost when you're awarded the job.
• Prices on incoming mill shipments may change drastically at time of shipment.

• What You Can Do

• If you have active customer orders we strongly recommend placing orders now to lock in current prices and avoid future cost increases.
• Consider blanket orders on available stock. That pricing will not change.
• Contact your local and national representatives to push for exemptions for critical materials. Without quotas and exemptions the cost of the tariffs will no longer be spread over large quantities of product.
• Contact our account representatives directly, or through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions you may have.

                The aluminum shortage that began amidst the 2020 pandemic continues to plague the US now, and for the forseeable future. Aluminum productionand demand was shifted with the beginning of the pandemic and country wide lockdowns. While the average consumer previously purchased beverages in restaurants and breweries, they were now seeking out solely canned drinks to keep at home. This sudden growth of can demand was something aluminum producers were not prepared for. This led to shortages and overbuying.

                In addition to the pandemic, magnesium restrictions is another contributor to the present aluminum shortage. Most of magnesium is sourced from China, though China’s smelting limits and efforts to decrease emissions restricts the amount they can export. Seeking out alternate magnesium suppliers is often too expensive to consider.

                Unfortunately, although aluminum is often preferred due to its light weight, it requires a high amount of electricity to produce. Fourteen megawatt hours are necessary to produce one ton of aluminum ingot, which is enough to power a home for an entire year. For reference, the US alone manufactures five million tons a year.

                As far as the aluminum shortage ending, experts are hesitant with predictions. However, most agree the earliest expected end would be sometime in 2023. As the nation moves back towards normalcy, aluminum purchasing could subside and have uncertain impacts on the supply chain. In the meantime, additional production plants are being constructed to keep up with the high demand and current shortage.

The Discovery and Uses of Metals

What would human civilization look like without metal? The discovery and understanding of different metals and alloys have shaped the way humans lived, fought, and made progress. From the early years of the bronze age to the more recent uses of stainless steel, few things have had as much influence on the world as metal.

Historical Timeline

4200 – 2500 BC

Copper - Bronze

Copper is one of man’s earliest metals and was used to replace stone tools due to its supeior shaping qualities. Though copper’s exact origin is uncertain, archaeologists generally credit early Mesopotamians as the first to fully harness copper’s abilities. However, it is believed that this copper was mostly used for decorative purposes, since its relatively soft composition made it less than ideal for most tools.

The next step of progress was bronze, a copper alloy. An alloy is a metal that combines two or more metals or elements to create a new material.

Some theories suggest the first copper alloy was created by mistake somewhere around 3500 BC, as copper and arsenic ores sat beside a fire and melted together. Whether or not that is entirely true, the first intentional copper alloy happened later (2500 BC) when tin and copper were mixed, thus introducing bronze to the world. Bronze was stronger and superior to pure copper. This early combination would not be the last alloy to change the world.

1500 – 300 BC

Iron

Before there was steel, there was iron.

Iron was used for tools and weapons, and was superior to its predecessor, bronze. While bronze had required both copper and tin resources, iron was a single material that could be smelted at high heats. The abundance of iron made it extremely accessible, and those able to craft it immediately implemented it into all facets of life. Iron was sharper and stronger than copper, and iron farm tools made farming easier and tough ground more workable. Iron’s discovery also put weapons, such as swords and spears, into the hands of many for the first time, permanently changing the course of the world.

1574 ­­– 1900

Steel

Steel is an iron alloy formed with a low amount of added carbon, which gives it additional strength. Though steel has been present within civilization for thousands of years, it was often difficult to work with and overall scarce. The first evidence of modern steel as we know it now was in Prague, Czech Republic in 1574, then in England by 1614. As the 17^th century continued and the prevalence of steel rose, it became known that the best steel of the time was in Stockholm, Sweden.

In 1856 steel production was revolutionized forever by Henry Bessemer. The Bessemer process was a new way to melt iron. It used molten pig iron and airflow to melt and purify the steel. This process allowed steel to be manufactured in large quantities and for a relatively low price.

The new accessibility of steel, thanks to the Bessemer process, changed the way the world travelled and planned. Steel rails were considerably stronger and held up ten times longer than iron rails. Steel trains could withstand heavier loads, making railroad transportation more efficient. Additionally, steel’s strength made skyscrapers a possibility for the first time, permanently changing the way cities grew and operated.

1912 –

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel was first crafted as we know it today in 1912 by Harry Brearley. Brearley sought to form a corrosion resistant alloy for use in gun barrels. Amidst the process, one material remained rust free in the scrap heap. This martensitic stainless steel would later be known as the 420 grade.

By 1920 stainless steel was widely known and referred to as 18/8 due to its chromium and nickel content. With stainless steel’s growing popularity, its hygienic qualities were revealed. Stainless steel was corrosion resistant and safely used in 1928 to brew and hold beer, making it a prime material in the medical field and in food storage.

In 1931 stainless steel was used for aircraft for the first time. Though lighter materials such as aluminum and titanium are now preferred by the aerospace industry, stainless steel is still utilized for smaller pieces and parts. A few commonly used stainless steel grades in airplane parts are 13-8 MO, 15-5 PH, and 17-4 PH.

Stainless steel is now sorted into four general types with over 150 grades, and is used in millions of parts, machines, and other daily use items.