Understanding Trump’s National Security Tariffs

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 authorizes the President, after investigation by the Department of Commerce, to “adjust” imports determined to threaten the national security. In March 2018, President Trump imposed a 25% duty on steel and a 10% duty on aluminum. Most countries are covered by these tariffs but some have negotiated quotas with the United States. National security tariffs are now looming for automobiles and auto parts, and section 232 investigations are underway for uranium and titanium sponge.

Two expert panels will examine: 

• The arcane law and its limits as tested by litigation
• Proposed legislation to restrict the President’s authority
• The steel and aluminum tariffs and the product exclusion process, and how these have impacted US manufacturers and global supply chains
• The effect of such tariffs on the auto industry
• The impact on the negotiation of free trade agreements

Agenda

Panel 1: The Law and Its Limits

• Evelyn Suarez (moderator), The Suarez Firm
• Marc Busch, Georgetown University 
• Halie Craig, US Senate
• Alan B. Morrison, George Washington University Law School
• Vanessa Sciarra, National Foreign Trade Council

Panel 2: Collateral Damage or Unintended Consequences

• John Saylor (moderator), Commonwealth Trading Partners
• Catherine Boland, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association 
• Mike Dankler, US House of Representatives 
• Christine McDaniel, Mercatus Center at George Mason University
• Paul Nathanson, Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users

This event is sponsored by the GW Center for International Business, Education, and Research; the Association of Women in International Trade; and the VA/DC District Export Council.