US Commerce Department invites public inputs on 232 tariff exclusion on aluminium and steel

According to a recent report, the Commerce Department of the United States has asked for public inputs to streamline the exclusion process for tariffs and quotas on aluminium and steel imposed by the Trump administration in 2018. The department’s Bureau of Industry and Security has opened commentary today and will accept input on the process through July 10.

This follows the Aluminum Association’s call for urgent reforms to the Commerce Department’s aluminum Section 232 tariff exclusion system. The Association had pointed out that the system was forcing US aluminium companies into conflict with customers and suppliers, adding layers of bureaucratic burden and providing a price advantage to foreign aluminum manufacturers.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said, “The Department of Commerce is continually looking for ways to improve the exclusion process for Section 232 tariffs and quotas. We want these critical national security measures to be applied effectively while avoiding unnecessary impacts on downstream American industries.”

BIS has said that it will conduct a thorough analysis of each request it receives, and will allow domestic producers to object to exclusion requests by letting them demonstrate how they are able to produce a similar product in sufficient quantities to meet national security needs.

Now more than ever, Americans of all political stripes understand the need for strong domestic manufacturing supply chains, and reforming the Section 232 exclusion system is one way to do just that.