Ross Says Auto Tariffs on European Imports Aren't Out of Picture
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Reuters that despite the fact there was no action on auto tariffs at the end of the 180-day period announced for negotiations, that doesn't mean they are off the table. “It may or may not turn out that there is any need for the tariff,” he said Dec. 3, as the U.S. negotiates with German automakers.
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Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., responded on Twitter that VWs and Toyotas aren't a national security threat -- the rationale for the tariffs under Section 232 of the 1962 trade law. “The window to levy 232 tariffs on foreign autos is closed. If @CommerceGov wants to impose punitive taxes on Americans who buy foreign cars, they must launch a new investigation,” he said. He also said that Congress should reform the law so that it has a say on national security tariffs. His bill to do so has stalled in the Senate Finance Committee, as he and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, have not agreed on the best way to reform the law, and the Democrats on the committee are also divided.