The US government recently announced that, effective August 18th, it will expand tariffs on steel and aluminum products, adding over 400 new steel and aluminum derivatives with a uniform 50% tariff rate. Enforcement will be handled by the Department of Commerce and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This means that not only will the steel and aluminum products themselves be subject to tariffs, but also many components needed for the construction, automotive, machinery, and appliance industries will be subject to high tariffs. This move aims to block importers from circumventing tariffs by bypassing customs with semi-finished products, while also strengthening the US metal refining and manufacturing supply chain.