# Trade War: Tariffs on China, Steel and Aluminum

> Imposed Section 232 tariffs on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) and Section 301 tariffs on hundreds of billions in Chinese goods.

Donald Trump · Trade & Economy · Policy / Major Decision · Mar 22, 2018
Official record: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93United_States_trade_war

## What happened

Imposed Section 232 tariffs on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) and Section 301 tariffs on hundreds of billions in Chinese goods, triggering retaliation and a multi-year trade conflict that ended with the January 2020 'Phase One' deal.

## How it happened

Used Section 232 (national security) and Section 301 (unfair trade practices) authorities, bypassing Congress.

## Documented impact

- [positive / contested] Aimed to protect domestic steel/aluminum and pressure China on trade practices. — Some domestic producers added capacity; the Phase One deal secured Chinese purchase commitments (largely unmet).
- [negative / substantiated] Raised costs for U.S. manufacturers and prompted retaliation against farmers. — Studies found tariff costs passed largely to U.S. firms and consumers; retaliatory tariffs hit U.S. agriculture, prompting billions in federal farm bailouts.

## Sources

- [China–US trade war (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93United_States_trade_war)

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