On Sunday, February 17, 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce reportedly submitted its report to the President following its investigation into whether imported cars and parts pose a threat to national security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. This investigation was initiated in May 2018 at President Trump’s request. The report has not been released to the public yet. The administration is required to release any part of the report that does not contain classified information in the Federal Register.
President Trump will now have 90 days to decide whether to act, which could result in tariffs or quotas on automobiles and parts.
We will continue to monitor this situation. For more information on the Section 232 tariffs on automobiles, please contact Nithya Nagarajan, Cortney Morgan, Jeffrey Neeley, Robert Stang, or Beau Jackson.