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1 1 (June 21, 2019)

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   Congressional
*.Research Service


Escalating U.S. Tariffs: Timeline



Updated June 21, 2019
The trade practices of U.S. trading partners and the U.S. trade deficit are a focus of the Trump
Administration. Citing these and other concerns, the President has imposed tariff increases under three
U.S. laws:
    *   (1) Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Table 1) on U.S. imports of washing machines
        and solar products;
    *   (2) Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (Table 2) on U.S. imports of steel
        and aluminum,  and potentially motor vehicles and parts, uranium, and titanium sponge;
        and
    *   (3) Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Table 3) on U.S. imports from China.
Congress  delegated aspects of its constitutional authority to regulate foreign commerce to the President
through these trade laws. These statutory authorities allow the President, based on agency investigations,
to take various actions, including to impose import restrictions to address specific concerns (see text box).
They  have been used infrequently in the past two decades, in part due to the 1995 creation of the World
Trade Organization (WTO)   and its enforceable dispute settlement system. Prior to this Administration,
U.S. import restrictions were last imposed under these trade laws in 1986 for Section 232, in 2001 for
Section 301, and in 2002 for Section 201. The President also proposed increasing tariffs on imports from
Mexico  using authorities delegated by Congress under the International Emergency Economic  Powers Act
(IEEPA), but subsequently suspended  the proposed tariffs citing an agreement reached with Mexico
(Table 4). For information on retaliatory tariffs by U.S. trading partners, see CRS Insight IN10971,
Escalating US.  Tariffs: Affected Trade.

                   U.S. Laws   Related  To Trump   Administration   Trade  Actions
  Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974-Allows the President to impose temporary duties and other trade measures if
  the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determines a surge in imports is a substantial cause or threat of serious injury
  to a U.S. industry.
  Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962-Allows the President to adjust imports if the Department of
  Commerce finds certain products are imported in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair U.S.
  national security.
  Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974-Allows the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to suspend trade
  agreement concessions or impose import restrictions if it determines a U.S. trading partner is violating trade agreement
  commitments or engaging in discriminatory or unreasonable practices that burden or restrict U.S. commerce.
  International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977-Allows the President to regulate the
  importation of any property in which any foreign country or a national thereof has any interest if the President declares a
  national emergency to deal with an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside
  the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.


CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress -

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