Section 232 investigation is conducted under the authority of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. The purpose of the investigation is to determine the effect of imports on the national security. Investigations may be initiated based on an application from an interested party, a request from the head of any department or agency, or may be self-initiated by the Secretary of Commerce.
The Secretary’s report to the President, prepared within 270 days of initiation, focuses on whether the importation of the article in question is in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security. The President can concur or not with the Secretary’s recommendations, and take action to “adjust the imports of an article and its derivatives” or other non-trade related actions as deemed necessary.
Want to learn more about Section 232 investigations? Download a Section 232 booklet in Adobe Acrobat format, which provides an explanation of the law and regulations, as well as provides a brief history of every case conducted under this authority.
Active Section 232 Investigations:
1. Copper – Initiated March 10, 2025
2. Timber and Lumber – Initiated March 10, 2025
Interested parties are invited to submit written comments, data, analyses, or information pertinent to these investigations to https://www.regulations.gov by April 1, 2025. The regulations.gov ID for the Copper investigation is BIS-2025-0010 and the ID for the Wood Products investigation is BIS-2025-0011. For more information, review the Federal Register Notice for the Copper investigation here and the Timber and Lumber investigation here.
Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Exclusions:
Section 232 Steel Exclusions Page
Section 232 Aluminum Exclusions Page
