Trump invokes Section 232 to impose 25% steel and 10% aluminum tariffs on national security grounds

President Trump signs Proclamation 9704 and 9705, invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose 25% tariffs on imported steel and 10% tariffs on imported aluminum. The administration argues steel and aluminum imports from China and other countries threaten US national security by undermining the domestic industrial base. The tariffs set a precedent for using Section 232 far beyond traditional defense industries, paving the way for later Section 232 investigations into automobiles, uranium, and pharmaceuticals.