On October 28, 2026, President Trump issued a proclamation titled “Adjusting Imports of Robotics, Industrial Machinery, and Their Parts and Components into the United States,” directing the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to jointly pursue negotiations with trading partners to address the national security threat posed by these imports. Rather
President Trump Opts for Negotiations, Not Tariffs, in Section 232 Wind Turbine Investigation
On October 22, 2026, President Donald Trump issued a Proclamation announcing that the investigation into the effects of imports of wind turbines and their parts and components on the national security of the United States under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 has concluded. The investigation was initiated in August 2025 by…
New BIS Rule Restricts Export of Certain Critical Minerals
The Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) has published a temporary final rule to restrict the export of black mass and tungsten waste and scrap without a license. The agency defines black mass as shredded lithium-ion battery scrap that contains cathode material, anode material or other “residual battery cell materials.” The BIS will restrict export…
President Trump Announces Negotiations Based on Section 232 Commercial Aircraft and Engine Findings
On July 9, 2026, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation, pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, ordering the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to continue negotiating agreements with trading partners to address the threatened impairment of national security as to imports of commercial aircraft, jet engines, and…
President Trump Announces Initiation of Recission of Syria’s Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism
On July 8, 2026, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, President Donald Trump announced his intention to remove Syria from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, a significant move that would assist Syria’s efforts to re-engage in the global political and financial systems and rebuild the country after more than a decade of civil…
Department of Commerce Initiates Section 232 Investigation of Anthracite Coal Imports
On June 29, 2026, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) initiated an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, to determine the effects on the national security of imports of anthracite coal. For the purposes of this investigation, anthracite coal encompasses products classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United…
Commerce Adds Duty-Free Tariff Code for Section 232 Goods Containing No Aluminum, Steel, or Copper
On April 27, 2026, the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) published a Federal Register notice adding a duty-free code in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”) with retroactive effect to cover goods subject to the Section 232 aluminum, steel, or copper tariff regimes that do not, in fact, contain these metals. This new…
BIS Amends the EAR to Remove Arms Embargo Designation on Cambodia
On February 3, 2026, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a final rule removing Cambodia from the list of U.S. arms-embargoed countries—Country Group D:5—within the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This actions follows the White House’s October 2025 decision to lift the U.S. arms embargo on Cambodia, and aligns with the…
President Trump Announces New 25% Section 232 Tariff on Narrow Category of Semiconductors Critical to AI
On January 14, 2026, President Donald Trump issued Proclamation 11002, announcing that, effective January 15, 2026, the United States is levying a 25% tariff on “a very narrow category of semiconductors” critical to the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, unless those semiconductors are imported “to support the buildout of the United States supply chain.” The…
No Section 232 Tariff Now on Processed Critical Minerals and Their Derivative Products
On January 14, 2026, President Donald Trump issued Proclamation 11001, concluding that processed critical minerals and their derivative products (PCMDPs) would not be subject now to an additional tariff under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Section 232 authorizes the president to adjust duties on goods imported in quantities or under…
