The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and the Outdoor Power Products Aftermarket Association have signed on to two recent coalition-led letters addressing Section 232 and China tariffs.
The first, a joint coalition letter led by the National Foreign Trade Council, was in response to the public comment period on the Adoption and Procedures of the Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariff Inclusions Process. The coalition urges the Department of Commerce to move away from over-reliance on Section 232 actions and provides recommendations to improve the process. Concerns emphasize the need for a predictable and transparent regulatory environment for planning investments and maintaining infrastructure. The letter also mentions the potential disruption to sectors far removed from the primary industries targeted by the original Section 232 actions.
The coalition encourages a workable inclusion process ahead of future investigations and expresses concerns about the impact of Section 232 duties, when there are limited to no domestic sources for such impacted products.
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. §1862, as amended) allows the President to impose restrictions on goods imports or enter into negotiations with trading partners if the U.S. Secretary of Commerce determines, following an investigation, that the quantity or other circumstance of those imports “threaten to impair” U.S. national security. On June 3, President Trump ordered that the Section 232 “national security” tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum products be increased from 25% to 50% effective June 4, with one exception: tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the UK remain at 25%, with possible changes or quotas starting July 9, 2025.
The second, a joint coalition letter led by the National Retail Federation, was in response to the unintended consequences in supply chain disruptions from ongoing U.S. trade negotiations. Urgent concerns raised over anticipated supply chain disruptions stemming from recent tariff changes with China. These disruptions are expected to impact U.S. manufacturers and their supply chains, with significant implications for competitiveness and operational efficiency including: Tariff Impacts, Rising Costs and Infrastructure Challenges. Immediate action is required to prevent severe supply chain disruptions that could adversely impact U.S. supply chain logistics.