Many HVAC distributors didn’t waste time passing along price increases that they blamed on the new 25 percent tariff on imported steel entering the U.S.  

A 25 percent tax on imported steel and 10 percent duty on imported aluminum from the countries will take effect tomorrow.

Dustin Denison has resigned himself to paying more for ductwork, registers, fittings and just about everything else containing steel that Applied Energy Innovations uses daily.

Hiroshige Seko, Japan’s minister of economic trade and industry, has said the U.S. decision to impose tariffs could disrupt the world’s markets for the two metals.

Officials with the European Union say it looks increasingly unlikely that they will be able to reach an agreement with the White House to permanently exempt the 28-nation bloc from the steel and aluminum tariffs. 

While the U.S. may hold off on imposing tariffs on other Chinese goods as the two sides try to negotiate new trade rules, the tariffs on steel and aluminum are staying. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made the statement Tuesday.

The announcement follows a joint statement Saturday that the two countries were pausing their talk of an escalating trade war.

The White House announcement did not specifically mention the tariffs the White House enacted on steel and aluminum in March.

The Trump administration decision to levy stiff taxes on imports of steel and aluminum has many sheet metal contractors seeking to lessen the impact of an unexpected jolt to their businesses.

A bipartisan pair of senators is asking the White House for more information on why it decided to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.