President Donald Trump plans to slap a hefty bill on steel and aluminum imports, strengthening the U.S. steel industry’s outlook. While there is a steel sector-specific exchange traded fund on the market, ETF investors may do better with a metals and mining sector play.
“We must protect our country and our workers. Our steel industry is in bad shape. IF YOU DON’T HAVE STEEL, YOU DON’T HAVE A COUNTRY!” Trump wrote in a Twitter post.
On Thursday, Trump surprised manufacturers after announcing his plans to implement a tariff on foreign steel and aluminum. The president told reporters he would impose a 25% tariff on steel imports and 10% on aluminum imports, but provided no further details.
The action is seen as steps the president promised to make on his campaign trail when he claimed that trade policies of China and other countries have undercut the U.S., notably in the manufacturing segment.
For ETF investor who want to capitalize on the tariff plans, some may immediately turn to the targeted VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (NYSEArca: SLX). However, potential investors should note that SLX follows global companies involved in the steel industry. The global steel ETF includes a 37.2% tilt toward U.S. steel, along with 19.1% Brazil, 13.3% Netherlands and 11.1% U.K. Since SLX includes more international than U.S. components, any tariffs could weigh on this ETF.
As witnessed on Friday, SLX was down 1.0%, following the Trump announcement.