Kennedy signs Trade Expansion Act, creating Section 232 national security tariff authority

President John F. Kennedy signs the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (P.L. 87-794), which gives the president authority under Section 232 to impose tariffs on imports that threaten national security. The law allows the president to act after a Department of Commerce investigation finds a national security threat. For decades, Section 232 is used sparingly, primarily for steel and energy. The Trump administration will later invoke Section 232 far more aggressively than any prior president, applying it to steel, aluminum, and eventually pharmaceuticals.