New Delhi, July 8 -- US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (July 8) that his administration will impose a 50 percent tariff on copper imports, escalating his push to reshape American trade policy through aggressive tariffs.

"Today we're doing copper," Trump said during a cabinet meeting, confirming the decision to raise duties on one of the most widely used industrial metals.

In a further escalation, Trump also warned that pharmaceuticals could face an even steeper tariff, though he suggested the move would not be immediate.

"They're going to be tariffed at a very, very high rate, like 200 percent," Trump said, adding that the measure would be announced soon and take effect after at least a year.

The move to hike copper tariffs is...