Sydney

TO a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. To US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross - who owes much of his personal wealth to buying US steel mills and selling them on - there's no manufacturing problem that can't be solved with metal tariffs.

President Donald Trump is considering actions to limit imports of steel and aluminium "in a very thoughtful and systematic way", Mr Ross told CNBC Thursday. Decisions on the curbs, which could include charges as high as 53 per cent on steel imports, are due in April.