Trade Cases
October 8, 2021
Trade Act Would Take Section 232 Authority Out of President's Hands
Written by Tim Triplett
Steel industry trade associations and other supporters of the Section 232 tariffs are strongly opposed to a bill introduced in Congress this week by U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) called the Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act. Sponsors of the measure say it is designed to prevent potential presidential abuse of “national security” tariffs by reinstating congressional authority over trade. Opponents say it is a back-door way to end the Section 232 tariffs.
“This bill is really designed to gut Section 232 as a trade tool for any president,” Kevin Dempsey, president of the American Iron and Steel Institute, told Steel Market Update today.
