The Trump administration passed the steel and aluminum tariffs under the guise they pose a risk to US national security. Sometimes facts get in the way of how people think.
Let’s start with steel. The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates the US produced about 80 million metric tons of steel in 2017. The military uses less than 3% of that per year. This is despite the fact the US government is involved in endless wars around the world. In other words, US companies produce more than enough steel for the military-industrial complex.
Let’s us move on to aluminum. In order to make aluminum you need bauxite. Of all the bauxite mined, about 95% is converted to alumina for the production of aluminum metal. The largest producers of bauxite are Australia (31.3%), China (24.6%), Brazil (13.2%), India (9.5%), Guinea (7.5%), and Jamaica (3.2%). You should take note that the US is not a top producer of bauxite. The US relies on imports for almost 100% of its consumption needs. Domestic ore provides less than 1% of the US requirement for bauxite. If aluminum really was an issue of national security, which it is not, than the US government would still be dependent on imports for bauxite to make aluminum.