A White House official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said any potential tariff rate would be determined by the investigation, adding that Trump preferred tariffs over quotas.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said the investigation would be completed quickly, "in Trump time."
Navarro said China was using state subsidies and economic influence to gain control over global copper production, in much the same way it now dominates steel and aluminum production.
That said, the countries set to be most affected by any new U.S. copper tariffs would be Chile, Canada and Mexico, which were the top suppliers of refined copper and copper articles in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.