The Guardian reported that President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into potential new tariffs on copper imports to revitalize the production of this critical metal for electric vehicles, military hardware, the power grid, and various U.S. consumer goods. White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro stated that China is using state-backed subsidies and excess capacity to undermine competition and seize control of global copper production, similar to how it currently dominates steel and aluminum manufacturing. The countries expected to be most affected by any new U.S. copper tariffs are Chile, Canada, and Mexico, which were the top suppliers of refined copper, copper alloys, and other copper products in 2024, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.