Issued 2023-12-28 by Joseph R. Biden Jr.
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
Proclamation 10691 adjusts the tariff treatment of steel imports into the United States, modifying the Section 232 national security tariffs that have been in place since 2018. The proclamation addresses the national security threat posed by steel imports from specific countries, adjusting duty rates or conditions for certain trading partners. The changes reflect ongoing negotiations and trade relationship developments, including agreements with allies to replace blanket tariffs with alternative arrangements.
This proclamation affects U.S. steel producers, steel importers, manufacturers that use steel as an input, and the workers in those industries. Trading partners whose steel products are affected are also directly impacted. Changes to import tariff levels can influence domestic steel prices, manufacturing competitiveness, and trade relationships with affected countries.
The legal authority rests on Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, under which the President may impose tariffs on imports that threaten national security. The use of Section 232 for broad steel tariffs has been debated in courts and among trade law scholars, though courts have generally been reluctant to override presidential national security determinations in the trade context.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
This proclamation ("Proclamation 10691-Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States") imposes or modifies tariffs. The stated rationale is: "the threatened impairment to the national security by imports of steel articles from these countries." Under Article I, Section 8, Congress holds the power to "regulate Commerce with foreign Nations" and to "lay and collect Duties." However, Congress has delegated significant tariff authority to the President through statutes like Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act (national security tariffs) and Section 301 of the Trade Act (unfair trade practices).
The constitutional question is the scope of that delegation. Courts have historically upheld broad presidential trade actions under these statutes. But sweeping tariff measures that effectively rewrite trade policy — affecting billions in commerce — raise non-delegation doctrine concerns. When the executive branch makes economic policy of this magnitude unilaterally, it sits at the edge of the separation of powers.
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