Shares in U.S. aluminum and steel companies from Alcoa Corp. to Nucor Corp. surged after the U.S. Commerce Department recommended that President Donald Trump impose a range of restrictions on imports from tariffs to quotas.
In a briefing with reporters on Friday over the results of his department’s investigation, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross proposed a 24 percent global tariff on steel shipments coming into the U.S. and a 7.7 percent duty on aluminum imports. Trump has the latitude to choose between these types of options or even enter talks with producers to find solutions.
The recommendations pushed up Century Aluminum Co. as much as 11 percent, while Alcoa gained 5.5 percent. Aluminum on the London Metal Exchange rose as much as 2.4 percent as of 5:15 p.m. in London.
Among steelmakers, Nucor, the largest American producer, climbed almost 6 percent, the biggest intraday increase since November 2016. U.S. Steel Corp. advanced 13 percent, the most since November.
Trump instructed the Commerce Department last year to probe whether imports of steel and aluminum represent a threat to U.S. national security. The investigation took place under the seldom-used Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross last month submitted his department’s final reports to Trump on steel and aluminum.
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