Trade Cases
October 30, 2019
Watchdog Finds Tariff Exclusion Process May Unfairly Favor Objectors
Written by Sandy Williams
A memo from the Commerce Department Office of the Inspector General suggests that the Section 232 exclusion process may be favoring the companies that file objections to exclusion requests. The watchdog agency found evidence of unofficial communications that may be giving objectors undue influence in tariff decisions.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is charged with administering the exclusion review process and procedures for steel and aluminum Section 232 tariffs. On Oct. 29, 2018, the Department of Audit and Evaluation initiated an audit to determine whether the BIS and the International Trade Administration were adhering to the processes in place to review the exclusion requests.
