Trade court rules in Trump Administration’s favor on steel and aluminum tariffs

On Monday, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump has the authority to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum tariffs for national security reasons. NMMA was not a party to the case, but the association has urged the government to withdraw its steel and aluminum tariffs, which have caused the price of raw materials to increase and spurred retaliatory tariffs on U.S. boats from the industry’s largest export markets.

A group of steel importers challenged the tariffs, arguing that Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 violates a constitutional prohibition against transfer of powers. The administration has made unusual use of this trade law and is currently deciding whether to impose tariffs on auto imports for national security reasons.

NMMA continues to advocate on Capitol Hill for addressing steel and aluminum tariffs and the subsequent retaliation by our top trading partners— Canada, Mexico, and the European Union (EU). NMMA is hopeful that passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will resolve these issues in North America and clear the deck for negotiations with the European Union.