Section 232 Investigations

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On June 3, 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (“Commerce”) Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published notice in the Federal Register of its initiation of an investigation to determine whether imports of vanadium threaten to impair the national security.  According to a press release, Commerce is initiating the investigation based on a petition filed on November 19, 2019 by two U.S. producers of vanadium — AMG Vanadium LLC, and U.S. Vanadium LLC.

Vanadium is a metallic element often used as an alloying agent in the production of steel and other metals.  It is used to improve the resulting metal’s hardness, ductility, and toughness. Typical end uses for vanadium-alloyed steels include armor plates, parts of jet engines, and cutting tools.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, vanadium is mined mostly in Brazil, China, Russia, and South Africa.  Vanadium can also be produced through a secondary process.  This source also indicates that from 2015-2018, U.S. demand was supplied 100 percent by imports.
Continue Reading Commerce Department Set to Investigate Whether Imports of Vanadium Threaten to Impair National Security

Comments Due by July 10, 2020

Today, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published a Federal Register Notice seeking comments from interested parties to assist in its decisions on exclusions from the Section 232 tariffs and quotas imposed on imports of steel and aluminum articles.

Since issuing its interim final rule establishing the Section 232 exclusion request process, BIS has received over 179,000 exclusion requests (157,900 for steel and 21,100 for aluminum), with over 78,500 being granted and 25,400 being denied.

BIS is seeking public comment regarding “the appropriateness of the factors considered, and the efficiency and transparency of the process employed, in rendering decisions on requests for exclusions from the tariffs and quotas imposed on imports of steel and aluminum articles.”  The notice lists various topics for comments including but not limited to expanding or restricting eligibility requirements for requestors and objectors; the Section 232 Exclusions Portal; the factors considered in rendering decisions on exclusion requests; and the incorporation of steel and aluminum derivative products into the product exclusion process.
Continue Reading Commerce Department Seeks Comments on Section 232 Exclusion Process for Steel and Aluminum

Last week, the Department of Commerce (the “Department”) initiated two new Section 232 proceedings on mobile cranes and electrical transformer components. Section 232, a previously seldom used section of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, is used to investigate the impact of certain imports on national security and provide relief if those imports threaten to impair U.S. national security. During the Trump Administration, Section 232 has been used to investigate imports of steel, aluminum, automobiles (and parts), titanium sponge, and uranium. Under Section 232, President Trump has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum.

The investigation on electrical transformer components will cover laminations for stacked cores for incorporation into transformers, stacked and wound cores for incorporation into transformers, electrical transformers, and transformer regulators. Transformers are an essential part of the U.S. energy infrastructure. The Department’s press release notes that “[a]n assured domestic supply of these products enables the United States to respond to large power disruptions affecting civilian populations, critical infrastructure, and U.S. defense industrial production capabilities.” Several members of Congress had previously urged the Administration to initiate proceedings.

The investigation on mobile cranes follows a petition filed by domestic producer The Manitowoc Company, Inc. (“Manitowoc”), according to the Department’s press release. That petition, filed in December, alleges that “increased …
Continue Reading Commerce Launches 232 Investigations on Transformer Components and Mobile Cranes

On February 27, 2020, President Trump announced that he would not impose duties on imports of titanium sponge pursuant to his authority under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, a statute that allows for the imposition of duties where imports threaten to impair the national security.  The decision was well-received by much…

Late last Friday evening, President Trump issued a proclamation imposing duties on imports of certain derivatives of steel and aluminum articles that have been found to threaten the national security.  The proclamation specifically identified products that were subject to the new duties (effective February 8, 2020), but it was unclear whether two yet-to-be-released Annexes would…

On Friday, January 24, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation expanding duties imposed on steel and aluminum articles pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, commonly referred to as “Section 232 duties,” to certain downstream steel and aluminum “derivatives.”

Application of 232 duties to “derivative articles” is authorized by statute.  Indeed, while the…

On Monday, October 14, 2019, President Trump announced that the U.S. will increase steel tariffs to 50% as a sanction against Turkey’s military advance into Syria last week.  The steel tariffs were originally imposed at 25% under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 in March, 2018.  In August, 2018, President Trump raised…

On Friday, May 17th, the Trump Administration announced that it has reached a deal with Canada and Mexico to eliminate national security-focused Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum (at 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively) from Canada and Mexico.  According to a joint statement by the United States and Canada, US.…

On Friday, May 17, President Donald J. Trump issued a proclamation directing the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to negotiate trade agreements to address the national security threat posed by imports of foreign automobiles and certain automotive parts. The proclamation provides for 180 days of negotiations, delaying the decision on whether to impose import restrictions…

On Friday, April 5th, a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel issued its decision in a landmark dispute between Russia and Ukraine.  The dispute, Russia – Measures Concerning Traffic In Transit, marks the first time a WTO panel has been tasked with determining whether it has jurisdiction to review actions taken by a WTO Member to protect its own national security interests.

The dispute was brought by Ukraine in September 2016 after Russia imposed various restrictions preventing Ukraine from using Russian road and rail transit to trade goods destined for Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.  In defense, Russia claimed that its actions were not subject to WTO review because they constituted actions necessary to protect Russia’s “essential security interests” during an “emergency in international relations” between Russia and Ukraine.  Actions taken by a WTO Member during a war or an emergency in international relations are excepted from WTO review pursuant to Article XXI of the General Agreements on Tariff and Trade 1994 (GATT).  The Trump Administration has cited Article XXI as exempting from WTO jurisdiction its decision to impose duties on imports of steel and aluminum products pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (Section 232). …
Continue Reading WTO Panel Issues Landmark Decision Regarding Actions Taken to Protect National Security Interests