A Pittsburgh-based aerospace company that makes parts used on passenger jets may stop taking orders because of tariffs, according to a report from Reuters.

A spokesman for Howmet Aerospace declined comment to TribLive, but they did not refute the story based upon a letter viewed by Reuters.

Howmet was invoking a clause in its contracts that covers unexpected external circumstances like President Donald Trump’s tariffs, announced last week.

The company is a spinoff of Arconic Corp., the North Shore-based company with roots in the Alle-Kiski Valley that was spun off itself from Alcoa.

Howmet supplies parts to both Seattle-based Boeing and the European company Airbus.

“Howmet will be excused from supplying any products or services that are impacted by this declared national emergency and/or the tariff executive order,” Howmet wrote in the letter.

Howmet’s news was among the first from a Pittsburgh-based company after the tariffs were announced last Wednesday.

Trump took to social media Monday to threaten more tariffs on China, according to The Associated Press.

“If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!”

If Trump implements his plans, U.S. tariffs on imports from China would reach a combined 104%.

The new taxes would be on top of the 20% tariffs announced as punishment for suspected fentanyl trafficking and his separate 34% tariffs announced last week. Not only could that increase prices for American consumers, it could give China an incentive to flood other countries with cheaper goods and seek deeper partnerships with other trading partners.

Trump faces mounting pressure in the financial markets and from business leaders to backtrack on his tariff ambitions, yet he has shown no signs of reversing course or finding a message to calm panicked markets. The White House said Monday that Trump would veto a Senate bill that would mandate congressional approval for new tariffs, a bet that the critical mass of Republican lawmakers will loyally back his taxes on imports despite the economic and political chaos being created.

As of midday on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had fallen 750 points, or 2%. The S&P 500 had slumped 1.5%, and the Nasdaq composite was off 1.2%.

The drop in the markets briefly reversed in the morning after a false report that Trump was considering a pause in his tariff plans. The frantic trading, which sent stocks spiking before plummeting again, showed how investors are operating on a hair trigger and are eager for any sign of encouraging news.

The White House account said it was “fake news” that Trump was considering a pause.

The president has remained defiant despite fears that he could be pushing the U.S. toward a recession, insisting that his tariffs are necessary for rebuilding domestic manufacturing and resetting trade relationships with other countries.

“Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient, and GREATNESS will be the result!” he wrote on Truth Social.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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