President Donald Trump’s administration has initiated a process to gather input on expanding tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automotive parts.
According to a notice in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the Bureau of Industry and Security at the Department of Commerce is seeking public comments from September 15 to 29 on additional derivative products made from steel or aluminum that could be subject to tariffs.
The Commerce Department will decide on imposing tariffs within 60 days after the comment period closes.
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act authorizes the President to restrict imports for national security reasons.
Citing this authority, the Trump administration has imposed a 50% tariff on steel, aluminum, and their derivative products, while a 25% tariff is applied to automobiles and auto parts.
The Commerce Department has established a process for U.S. manufacturers and trade associations to request that new products be designated for tariffs, with two-week comment periods scheduled in January, May, and September.
In June, following a review of comments from May, the Department decided to impose a 50% tariff on steel used in household appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers.
The Department has now announced a procedure for requesting the inclusion of auto parts in the 25% tariff category.
A two-week comment period will begin on October 1, with decisions on tariff impositions to be made within 60 days, similar to the process for steel and aluminum.
The Department plans to accept comments on auto parts quarterly in January, April, July, and October. As the list of tariff-applicable components grows, Korean auto parts manufacturers are likely to face increasing pressure.