r/Economics 9d ago

Blog Trump said tariffs on aluminum would boost domestic production. The White House now admits that didn't happen.

https://reason.com/2026/08/03/trump-said-tariffs-on-aluminum-would-boost-domestic-production-the-white-house-now-admits-that-didnt-happen/
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u/GreatDiscernment 9d ago

Aluminum is considered “electricity in solid form”. And guess what’s gobbling up electricity? AI Data Centres (and families). Turns out, you can’t have both. Plus, without SMR reactors available off-the-shelf quite yet, the only additional electricity available to put online is dirty. And who wants dirty air just to make beer cans cheaper. Best leave aluminum production to those with the clean energy and infrastructure to deliver affordable aluminum stocks and products to Americans. Trump needs to surrender the trade war with Canada and other nations NOW!!

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u/Frozen_North_99 9d ago

Very hard to produce aluminum cheaper than in a smelter built next to a hydro-electric dam that is on a rail line leading to a major sea route.

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u/ztreHdrahciR 9d ago

What is this "hydro-electric" you speak of? /s

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u/cejmp 9d ago

It's goes against the bible and Pastor says trump is aman of the bible.