On the 25th, two announcements appeared in the US Federal Register, which were the details of the Trump administration’s launch of a 232 investigation into imported robots and industrial machinery and imported medical equipment.
The announcement stated that the U.S. Department of Commerce launched an investigation in accordance with Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, and the investigation began on September 2. Under the law, the U.S. president has the right to impose tariffs on key commodities deemed to be related to national security, and the U.S. Department of Commerce must submit policy recommendations within 270 days.
The newly released investigation expands the scope of the industry that the U.S. may currently face tariffs. Many experts interviewed by the First Financial Daily said that the Trump administration encourages domestic manufacturing of key industries by raising import costs.
Roger, who has been engaged in the US line logistics industry in the United States for a long time, told the First Financial reporter that if the investigation into robots and industrial equipment comes true, it will undoubtedly increase the cost of the US manufacturing industry, and the US will not be able to produce these equipment in a short period of time. The ambition to revitalize the US manufacturing industry is mixed with objective facts and the farce that appears under the increasingly serious nationalist circumstances, allowing foreign companies investing in the United States to face the cold reality with ambitions again.
According to incomplete statistics from the First Financial reporter, the 232 surveys issued by the United States currently involve steel and aluminum and its derivatives, automobiles, copper, semiconductors, pharmaceutical products, key minerals and derivatives, trucks, wood, commercial aircraft and engines and their components, drone systems and their components, as well as polysilicon and their derivatives, etc. The Trump administration has invoked the bill to impose 232 tariffs on automobiles, copper, steel and aluminum products.
Investigate imported robots and industrial machinery
Announcement on investigations on imported robots and industrial machinery shows that the U.S. Secretary of Commerce launched an investigation based on 232 regulation to evaluate the impact of imports of robots and industrial machinery and their components on national security.
The “robots and industrial machinery” surveyed this time include but are not limited to robots and programmable computer-controlled mechanical systems. Equipment includes CNC machining centers, lathes and milling machines, grinding and deburring equipment, industrial stamping machines, as well as automatic tool changing devices, fixtures, and machine tools for cutting, welding and workpiece handling.
Special metal processing equipment for metal processing, forming or cutting is also covered, such as autoclaves and industrial ovens, metal finishing and processing equipment, electric spark processing machinery, laser and waterjet cutting tools and machinery. However, the scope of this investigation does not include driverless aviation systems, and this type of product is covered by another Article 232 survey.
The U.S. Department of Commerce also stated that it hopes that relevant parties will submit written opinions, data, analysis or information related to this investigation to the Office of Strategic Industry and Economic Security of the Department of Industry and Security Bureau within 21 days after the release of the Federal Register. The main contents include the current, expected and optimal demand for robots and industrial machinery and their components in the United States; the degree to which the production capacity of domestic robots and industrial machinery and their components meets domestic demand; the role of foreign supply chains (especially major exporting countries) in meeting the United States’ demand for robots and industrial machinery and their components, and the situation where the import of robots and industrial machinery and their components is highly concentrated in a few suppliers or foreign countries and related risks.
The U.S. Department of Commerce also said it hopes to understand the feasibility of increasing the domestic production capacity of robots and industrial machinery and their components to reduce import dependence, the impact of current trade policies on the domestic production of robots and industrial machinery and their components, and whether additional measures such as tariffs or quotas are needed to protect national security and the impact of the use or not use of robots and industrial machinery on U.S. manufacturing employment, etc.
