U.S. Weighing Tariffs on Car & Truck Imports

The Trump administration launched a national security investigation into car and truck imports that could lead to new U.S. tariffs similar to those imposed on imported steel and aluminum in March.

The national security probe under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 would investigate whether vehicle and parts imports were threatening the industry’s health and ability to research and develop new, advanced technologies, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday.

“There is evidence suggesting that, for decades, imports from abroad have eroded our domestic auto industry,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement late Wednesday, promising a “thorough, fair and transparent investigation.”

Ross said Thursday the probe of car and truck imports is still in its early stages but that other countries’ high, artificial barriers such as tariffs and other interventions have skewed the marketplace.

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