Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, 1962
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 authorises the US President to adjust imports through tariffs or other measures if the Department of Commerce finds that certain imports threaten national security. It was first used significantly in 2018, when President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel and 10% on aluminium imports from most countries, based on Commerce Department investigations initiated in April 2017 that found global excess capacity threatened US domestic metal industries. Before 2018, the last time Section 232 was used to impose trade restrictions was in 1986.
- Legal authority: Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
- 2018 tariffs: 25% on steel, 10% on aluminium (imposed March 8, 2018)
- 2025 escalation: Tariffs were raised up to 50% and expanded to cover derivative products
- Country-specific exemptions were negotiated with certain allies (EU, Japan, UK) under quota systems between 2018-2022
- India did not receive any exemption and was subject to the full Section 232 tariffs
● Tracked since February 13, 2026 · last seen July 23, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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