Chamber of Commerce Says Biden Win Might Weaken Interest in Section 232 Reform

Even as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held out hope for a President Joe Biden rolling back tariffs on imports from countries other than China, it doesn't expect Congress to limit a president's ability to impose tariffs without congressional approval. Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the Chamber and its top policy officer, said that if Biden were to win, “he may choose a slightly different path” on tariffs than Donald Trump has.

“Clearly if President Trump secures a second term, it’s likely he’s going to continue on the policy and trade path he’s laid out,” Bradley said Nov. 4, before the outcome was clear.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has said that Section 232 reform -- of the bill that the administration used to impose tariffs and quotas on imported metals -- didn't move because some Republicans on the committee didn't want to be seen as anti-Trump (see 2005280034).

Bradley said he doesn't think a Republican-led Senate would be more likely to pass reform if Biden's in the White House, because the push for Section 232 reform “was really a response to the administration's use of tariffs. If a Biden administration were to take a different approach on tariffs, some of the push for altering current law with respect to 232 might dissipate,” he said.