Section 232

Section 232 is part of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. It lets the Commerce Department investigate whether imports of a product put national security at risk.

If the department says yes and the president agrees, the president can act. That can mean a tariff, a quota, a fee, or talks with other countries to cut imports.

The law has been used for steel, aluminum, cars, chips and drones. In October 2026 it was used to declare imported robots and industrial machines a security risk, with talks first and possible tariffs later.