'America First': Largest steel producer in US announces support of Trump tariffs

FIRST ON FOX: The CEO of the largest alloy shaper successful the U.S., Nucor Corp., endorsed President Donald Trump's tariffs connected China, Canada and Mexico, Fox News Digital learned. 

"Nucor applauds the archetypal steps taken by President Trump successful his America First Trade Agenda," Leon J. Topalian, the chair, president and CEO Nucor Corp., wrote successful a connection dated Friday that was obtained by Fox News Digital. "We look guardant to moving with President Trump to enforce our commercialized laws and fortify American manufacturing!" 

The taxable enactment of the missive reads, "Presidential Executive Orders connected Canada, Mexico, and the People’s Republic of China."

Nucor is based retired of North Carolina and serves arsenic the nation's largest alloy shaper and scrap metallic recycler. 

TRUMP DEFENDS TARIFFS, ACCUSES CANADA OF BEING 'VERY ABUSIVE OF THE UNITED STATES': VIDEO

The company's CEO precocious joined CNBC's Jim Cramer and celebrated Trump's then-upcoming tariffs arsenic tools to extremity "currency manipulation" and the "subsidization" of alloy coming to the U.S. from abroad. 

"We saw the memo past Monday connected tariffs and what they're going to do," Topalian said Tuesday. "And I deliberation they're going to beryllium far-reaching, and I deliberation they're going to beryllium precise wide to, again, halt the amerciable dumping, the manipulation, currency manipulation and subsidization of steels coming into the shores of the U.S."

"We're the largest alloy institution successful North America, so, of course, we took a look a twelvemonth and a fractional agone and, and, we'll proceed to look and spot if those assets travel back," helium said. "But, portion of the crushed we didn't determination guardant is valuation. We're not going to overpay for assets."

NUCOR ONCE THWARTED A CHINESE ATTEMPT TO STEAL ITS TECHNOLOGY

Trump signed an enforcement bid connected Saturday authorizing tariffs connected Mexico, Canada and China done the caller International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The tariffs instrumentality effect connected Tuesday and include 25% tariffs connected imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff connected imports from China. Energy resources from Canada volition person a little 10% tariff.

President Donald Trump signed an enforcement bid connected Feb. 1, 2025, authorizing tariffs connected Mexico, Canada and China done the caller International Emergency Economic Powers Act. (Getty Images)

The tariffs were created successful airy of "extraordinary" threats stemming from "illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl," according to the order. 

NUCOR CEO ON TARIFFS: WE'VE BEEN IN A TRADE WAR FOR 30 YEARS

"This situation threatens the cloth of our society," the enforcement bid states. "Gang members, smugglers, quality traffickers, and illicit drugs of each kinds person poured crossed our borders and into our communities.

"Canada has played a cardinal relation successful these challenges, including by failing to give capable attraction and resources oregon meaningfully coordinate with United States instrumentality enforcement partners to efficaciously stem the tide of illicit drugs."

The tariffs were created successful airy of "extraordinary" threats stemming from "illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl," according to President Donald Trump's enforcement order. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Foreign leaders person railed against the tariffs. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Saturday that her state "categorically reject[s] the White House's slander against the Mexican authorities of having alliances with transgression organizations, arsenic good arsenic immoderate volition of involution successful our territory."

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau encouraged residents to "buy Canada" by checking labels astatine stores to guarantee a merchandise is made successful the Great White North.

TRUMP SAYS CANADA WOULD HAVE NO TARIFFS AS 51ST STATE, AS OBSERVERS BRACE FOR TRADE WAR

Trump defended the tariffs Sunday evening portion talking to reporters gathered astatine Joint Base Andrews successful Maryland. 

The CEO of the largest alloy shaper successful the U.S., Nucor Corp., endorsed President Donald Trump's tariffs connected China, Canada and Mexico. Pictured present is simply a Nucor alloy recycling works successful Seattle. (Getty Images)

"Canada has been precise abusive of the United States for galore years. They don't let our banks," Trump said. "And you cognize that Canada does not let banks to spell in, if you deliberation astir it. That's beauteous amazing. If we person a U.S. bank, they don't let them to spell in."

"Canada has been precise pugnacious for lipid connected energy. They don't let our workplace products in, essentially. They don't let a batch of things in. And we let everything to travel successful arsenic being a one-way street."

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Former President Joe Biden besides imposed tariffs during his administration, including connected alloy and aluminum shipped from Mexico to the U.S. but made elsewhere.

Fox News Digital's Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.