Washington is gearing up for a fresh wave of import duties on critical goods, invoking national security concerns just weeks after a Supreme Court setback. Products like large batteries, cast iron, plastic pipes, industrial chemicals, power grid components, and telecom gear are in the crosshairs.
This move could ripple through global supply chains, slamming exporters from countries like India that rely on shipping metals, chemicals, and industrial parts to the US market. The tariffs would fall under Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act, a provision presidents have wielded to slap duties on imports deemed threats to national security.
Unlike the broader 15% global tariffs floated by President Trump for a five-month trial, these targeted measures aim at specific sectors vital to America’s infrastructure and defense. Past uses of Section 232 hit steel, aluminum, copper, autos, and parts, sparking retaliatory actions from trading partners including India.
The process involves lengthy investigations by the Commerce Department, but once imposed, duties can be adjusted unilaterally. White House spokesperson Kush Desai emphasized that safeguarding national and economic security remains Trump’s top priority, with the administration ready to deploy every legal tool.
The Supreme Court’s recent 6-3 ruling struck down most tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act but left Section 232 untouched, preserving this avenue. Traders and analysts watch closely as no timeline for new probes has emerged, but the signal is clear: protectionism is far from over.
For India, whose exports of iron, steel, chemicals, and machinery to the US topped $10 billion last year, the stakes are high. Any duties could erode competitiveness, force price hikes, or divert shipments elsewhere, compounding pressures from ongoing trade frictions.