Trade Cases
July 19, 2018
Leibowitz on Trade: Update on Section 232 on Automotive
Written by Tim Triplett
Lewis Leibowitz, trade attorney and contributor to Steel Market Update, offers the following commentary on the latest developments in Washington:
Today, the Commerce Department is conducting a hearing on the self-initiated Section 232 investigation into imports of autos and auto parts. The U.S. auto industry is uniformly opposed to tariffs on autos and auto parts. However, the president seems to be in favor of them. Yesterday, the president threatened “tremendous retribution” if auto and auto parts trade is not balanced more in favor of the U.S. Some critics of the tariffs have referred to today’s hearing as a “show trial.” There are reports that the president has asked for a Commerce decision before the November mid-term elections.
