Georgetown Law School Professor Jennifer Hillman, a former International Trade Commissioner and member of the World Trade Organization's appellate body, said she thinks there are grounds for a challenge to 25% tariffs on autos and auto parts, imposed on national security grounds under Section 232.
Two former general counsels from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative disagreed sharply about the need for the current aggressive tariff hikes. But Jennifer Hillman, who is helping to write amicus briefs for members of Congress challenging the legality of International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs, and Steven Vaughn, who served in the first Trump administration, agree what would happen if the current administration loses the case.
Special tariff treatment for U.K. automobiles, auto parts and goods falling under the Civil Aircraft Agreement will begin June 30, according to a notice released by the Commerce Department June 27.
The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration will begin accepting requests July 1 to include additional auto parts under 25% Section 232 tariffs on imports, it said in a news release June 24. The 14-day submission window will be one of four per year when Commerce accepts inclusion requests, in January, April, July and October, it said.
Hundreds of Section 232 inclusion requests for metal derivatives cover more than $310 billion in annual imports, and imposing 50% tariffs on part of the value of "such a wide array of items, particularly where many products do not meaningfully contain steel or aluminum, risks disrupting sectors far removed from the primary industries targeted by the original Section 232 actions," argued trade groups asking Commerce to slow down before making decisions.
CBP has updated its June 20 guidance on Section 232 additional steel derivative products (see 2506200066) to list the correct number for preexisting Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. subheading 9903.81.98, according to a June 24 cargo systems message. The change corrects the Chapter 99 HTS number for some steel or iron derivative imports coming from the U.K. No changes were made to the attachment that was part of the CSMS message, according to CBP.
CBP created Harmonized System Update 2523 on June 22, containing 21 Automated Broker Interface records and eight Harmonized Tariff Schedule records. HSU 2523 includes Section 232 Additional Derivative Steel adjustments that went into effect June 23 (see 2506200066).
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CBP issued guidance on additional derivative steel products that will be subject to Section 232 duties starting June 23.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of June 9-15: