CAMMU responds to inquiry regarding Section 232 exclusion process

The Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users (CAMMU), of which NAFEM is a member, provided feedback to the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) on the Section 232 tariff exclusion process for imported steel and aluminum. In its comments, CAMMU notes that, “Unfortunately, numerous problems continue to plague the exclusion process, resulting in U.S. manufacturers being unable to obtain essential steel and aluminum inputs … This is a critical problem, particularly as U.S. manufacturers are attempting to recover from the economic harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Among other concerns, CAMMU specifically addressed the delays in the exclusion process, citing examples of some exemption requests pending for more than 600 days. “It is essential for U.S. manufacturers that changes be made to the product exclusion process to make it fairer and transparent, and to eliminate the delays that are common for companies who file for a product to be excluded from the Section 232 tariffs.” CAMMU recommended an automatic exclusion approval if a decision is not made within 30 days to provide certainty for the thousands of manufacturers often left in limbo by the “seemingly endless exclusion process.”