WASHINGTON, DC — On July 30th, the White House issued a proclamation imposing a universal 50% tariff on imports of “semi-finished” copper products, including wires, sheets and pipes. The body of the proclamation notes that for much of the 20th century the US was a world leader in the “value chain” of copper production, however in recent years domestic copper production has plummeted. The proclamation goes on to say:In my judgment, the action in this proclamation will, among other things, help increase domestic production of semi-finished copper products and intensive copper derivative products, thereby reducing our Nation’s reliance on foreign sources. The Copper Development Association is the market development, engineering and information services arm of the copper industry, chartered to enhance and expand markets for copper and its alloys in North America. Upon initial review, we believe the Administration has taken decisive, comprehensive and calibrated actions designed to supercharge domestic production.