⚙️Commerce invokes Section 232 for EU steel despite WTO violations

American manufacturers pay higher costs for imported metals that get passed to consumers through increased prices on vehicles, refrigerators, and building supplies. The "America First" policy makes everyday goods more expensive while protecting a small number of domestic steel jobs.

The Constitution grants Congress power to regulate commerce, but presidential use of "national security" justifications bypasses legislative oversight. Emergency trade powers intended for genuine threats become routine tools for economic policy, concentrating enormous authority in executive hands.

Brussels imposes swift counter-tariffs on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Kentucky bourbon, and agricultural products from Republican districts. Trade war escalation punishes American exporters who lose market share to competitors from countries not engaged in tariff battles with Europe.

Treating Canada and European Union steel imports as security threats strains military and intelligence cooperation essential for American interests. Economic warfare against allies weakens the democratic coalition needed to counter authoritarian challenges from China and Russia.