Global confusion as Trump floats tariffs on car imports

摘要

President Trump late yesterday asked the Commerce Department to investigate whether tariffs on vehicle imports are necessary for national security, sowing global alarm and confusion.rn"I instructed Secretary [Wilbur] Ross to consider initiating a Section 232 investigation into imports of automobiles, including trucks, and automotive parts to determine their effects on America's national security," the president said in a statement.rnTrump was referring to a section in a 1960s-era trade law, which lets the president restrict imports that threaten "to impairthe national security." He used the same provision in March to justify slapping tariffs on foreign-made steel and aluminum (E&E News PM. March 8).rnThe administration is considering an additional 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles, a senior administration official told the Wall Street Journal.