White House Confirms Trump Tariff Policy on Steel and Aluminum Remains Unchanged
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 3 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy AA?
White House officials said there will not be any alterations to President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on steel and aluminum and thousands of other products made from such metals unless the president himself announces any changes, Reuters' David Lawder reports. A Trump administration official, in response to reporting that said the U.S. was planning to scale back tariffs on some steel and aluminum goods with certain exemptions, said that Trump "will never compromise on reinvigorating the domestic manufacturing that is critical to our national and economic security, especially steel and aluminum production," the author says. The official added that the White House was implementing "a nimble and nuanced tariff agenda" to increase U.S. output in the steel, aluminum and other manufacturing industries, the author notes. Publicly traded companies in the steel space include ArcelorMittal (MT), Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF), Nucor (NUE), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and U.S. Steel (X). Publicly traded companies in the aluminum space include Alcoa (AA), Kaiser Aluminum (KALU), and Century Aluminum (CENX).
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Analyst Views on AA
Wall Street analysts forecast AA stock price to fall
8 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
4 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 60.510
Low
38.00
Averages
57.63
High
78.00
Current: 60.510
Low
38.00
Averages
57.63
High
78.00
About AA
Alcoa Corporation is a vertically integrated aluminum company comprised of bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminum production (smelting and casting), and energy generation. The Company’s operations are comprised of two business segments: Alumina and Aluminum. The Alumina segment primarily consists of its bauxite mines and alumina refineries, which generally include the mining of bauxite and other aluminous ores, as well as the refining, production, and sale of smelter grade and non-metallurgical alumina. The alumina produced by this segment is sold to internal and external aluminum smelter customers; a portion of the alumina is sold to external customers who process it into industrial chemical products. The Aluminum segment consists of the Company’s aluminum smelting and casting operations along with the Company’s energy production assets in Brazil, Canada, and the United States. It has direct and indirect ownership of 26 operating locations across nine countries on six continents.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Swift Market Reaction: Steel and aluminum producers fell by 5-6% in early trading as investors began to price in the potential for increased foreign competition and diminished domestic pricing power, indicating market sensitivity to policy changes.
- Impact of Tariff Protection: Tariffs have provided a cushion for U.S. producers, supporting margins and limiting cheaper imports; if rolled back, this cushion thins, potentially compressing profit margins.
- Potential Cost Relief Opportunity: While metal producers' stocks declined, this shift hints at potential benefits for automakers, machinery manufacturers, and construction firms, as lower steel and aluminum input costs could improve downstream margins.
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