September 8, 2025

Get ready for a major trade shake-up! President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the US will stop charging extra tariffs on important minerals such as graphite, tungsten, uranium, and gold bullion. This exciting change kicks in from Monday thanks to a fresh executive order. Here’s the deal: While tariffs on silicone products will stay, many minerals crucial to aerospace, electronics, medical devices, and other top tech fields will now be tariff-free. This means a big relief for industries relying on these rare materials that the US can’t fully produce at home. Trump’s order also makes it easier for the US to speed up special trade agreements with nations like the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. Previously, every tariff adjustment needed a new executive order, but now, the US Trade Representative and Commerce Department can act faster. It’s like giving them a green light to smooth out trade bumps quickly! Remember the surprise around gold bullion tariffs? Traders were confused when US Customs hinted that gold bars might be taxed. Now, the president’s order officially removes those import taxes on gold, calming nerves in the market. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic cheered the news on X, saying it "paves the way for car and parts tariffs to drop to 15% and secures key exemptions from the 15% cap." The European auto sector had been nervous about higher US fees, so this move brings hope for better trade relations. All of this comes under Trump’s big plan to fix trade imbalances he sees as threats to US national security. Tariffs were ramped up rapidly over months, with tricky back-and-forth deals in the mix. Some complained these rules might mess with key markets or push prices up for goods that can’t grow or be made domestically, such as specialty spices, coffee, and rare metals. The new tariff lift covers many critical minerals for high-tech and medical industries. Even some pharmaceuticals like pseudoephedrine and antibiotics are getting tariff relief amid ongoing trade probes. While silicone products will still face tariffs, Trump is expanding reciprocal tariffs to include resin and aluminum hydroxide. This means trade on these materials remains taxed, balancing the new relief elsewhere. In short, Trump’s order is shaking up trade rules to help American business and smooth deals with global partners — a spicy mix of tariffs on some goods and welcome relief on others to keep the US competitive and secure.

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Tags: Tariffs, Trump, U.s. trade, Minerals, Exports, Trade deals,