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Escalating U.S. Tariffs: Timeline

Changes from September 24, 2018 to May 24, 2019

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Concerns over trading partner trade practices The trade practices of U.S. trading partners and the U.S. trade deficit have beenare a focus of the Trump Administration. Citing these concerns and othersand other concerns, the President has imposed tariffs under three U.S. laws and authorities that allow the Administration to unilaterally impose trade restrictionstake such action: (1) Section 201 (Table 1) on U.S. imports of washing machines and solar products; (2) Section 232 (Table 2) on U.S. imports of steel and aluminum, and potentially autos and uranium,, uranium, and titanium sponge; and (3) Section 301 (Table 3) on U.S. imports from China. Congress delegated aspects of its constitutional authority to regulate foreign commerce to the President through these trade laws. These statutory authorities allow presidential action, based on agency investigations and other criteria, to impose, to take various actions, including import restrictions to address specific concerns (see text box). They have been used infrequently in the past two decades, in part due to the 1995 creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its enforceable dispute settlement system. Prior to this Administration, U.S. import restrictions were last imposed under these trade laws in 19821986 for Section 232, in 2001 for Section 301, and in 2002 for Section 201. For more on the impact of these actionsinformation on retaliatory tariffs by U.S. trading partners, see CRS Insight IN10971, Escalating Tariffs: Potential Impacts.

U.S. Laws Related To Trump Administration Trade Actions

Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974—Allows the President to impose temporary duties and other trade measures if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determines a surge in imports is a substantial cause or threat of serious injury to a U.S. industry.

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962—Allows the President to take action to adjust imports of productsif the Department of Commerce finds to be imported into the United Statescertain products are imported in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair U.S. national security.

Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974—Allows the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to suspend trade agreement concessions or impose import restrictions if it determines a U.S. trading partner is violating trade agreement commitments or engaging in discriminatory or unreasonable practices that burden or restrict U.S. commerce.

Increasing U.S. tariffs or imposing other import restrictions through these laws potentially opens the United States to complaints that it is violating its WTO and free trade agreement (FTA) commitments. Several U.S. trading partners, including Canada, China, Mexico,China and the European Union, have initiated dispute settlement proceedings and imposed retaliatory tariffs in response. The retaliatory actions also raise questions with regard to their adherence to WTO commitments.

Timeline and Status of U.S. Trade Actions

The tables below provide a timeline of key events related to each U.S. trade action. In addition to tariffs, the President has imposed quotas, or quantitative limits on U.S. imports of certain goods from specified countries, as well as tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), for which one tariff applies up to a specific quantity of imports and a higher tariff applies above that threshold.

Table 1. Section 201 Global Safeguard Investigations

Key Dates

U.S. Import Restriction

Solar Cells: 4-year TRQ with 30% above quota tariff, descending 5% annually.

Solar Modules: 4-year 30% tariff, descending 5% annually.

Large Residential Washers: 3-year TRQ, 20% in quota tariff descending 2% annually, 50% above quota tariff descending 5% annually.

Large Residential Washer Parts: 3-year TRQ, 50% above quota tariff, descending 5% annually.

Countries Affected

Canada excluded from the duties on washers. Certain developing countries excluded if they account for less than 3% individually or 9% collectively of U.S. imports of solar cells or large residential washers, respectively. All other countries included.

Current Status

Effective February 7, 2018.

Table 2. Section 232 Steel and Aluminum, Aluminum, Auto, Uranium, and Titanium Sponge Investigations

Aluminum: Argentina,* Australia, Canada, and Mexico exempted. All other countries included.

Steel: Argentina,* Australia, Brazil,* Canada, Mexico, and South Korea* effective indefinitely; 50% tariffs on steel imports from Turkey.

Key Dates
  • 4/2017—Commerce self-initiates investigations on effects on national security of U.S. steel (4/19) and aluminum (4/26) imports. President signs memoranda prioritizing steel and aluminum investigations.
  • 1/2018—Commerce submits steel (1/11) and aluminum (1/17) investigation findings and recommendations to President.
  • 3/8/2018—President proclaims23/2018—United States imposes steel and aluminum duties, effective March 23, 2018, temporarily exempting Canada and Mexico.
  • 3/22/2018—President temporarily exempts Argentina, Australia, Brazil, South Korea and the European Union (EU) in addition to Canada and Mexico from steel and aluminum duties.
  • 4/30/2018—President permanently exempts South Korea from steel duties, based on a quota arrangement. South Korea's exemption from aluminum duties expires.
  • 5/31/2018—President permanently exempts Argentina, Australia, and Brazil from steel duties, and Argentina and Australia from aluminum duties, based on quota arrangements. Brazil's exemption from aluminum duties, and Canada, Mexico, and EU's exemptions from steel and aluminum duties expire.
  • 8/10/2018—President doubles the tariff rates to 50% on steel imports from Turkey, effective August 13, 2018. Temporary exemptions to May 1 in place for certain U.S. security partners (later extended to June 1).
  • 4/30/2018—President permanently exempts South Korea from steel duties, based on a quota arrangement.
  • 5/23/2018—Commerce self-initiates investigation on U.S. motor vehicle and parts imports.
  • 5/31/2018—President permanently exempts Argentina and Brazil from steel duties, and Argentina from aluminum duties, based on quota arrangements. Australia permanently exempted from both duties without a quota.
  • 7/18/2018—Commerce initiates investigation on U.S. uranium imports based on industry petition.
  • 2/17/2019—Commerce submits motor vehicle and parts investigation findings and recommendations to President.
  • 3/4/2019—Commerce initiates investigation on U.S. titanium sponge imports based on industry petition.
  • 4/16/2019—Commerce submits uranium investigation findings and recommendations to President.
  • 5/17/2019—President proclaims motor vehicle and parts imports a national security threat and directs USTR to negotiate with European Union (EU), Japan, and others to resolve threat.
    • 5/19/2019—President exempts Canada and Mexico from steel and aluminum duties. Canada, Mexico, and United States announce process for reinstating tariffs should imports surge.

U.S. Import Restriction

Aluminum: 10% tariffs on specified list of aluminum imports, effective indefinitely.

Steel: 25% tariffs on specified list of steel imports, effective indefinitely.

Autos and Parts: No tariffs currently in effect, pending negotiations.

Countries Affected

Countries Affected

Aluminum: Australia and Argentina* permanently exempted.

Steel: Australia, Argentina*, Brazil*, and South Korea* permanently exempted.

All other countries included.

exempted. All other countries included.

Autos and Parts: EU, Japan, and other countries "deemed necessary" targeted for negotiations.

(*) Quantitative import restrictions imposed in place of tariffs.

Current Status

Effective March 23, 2018Aluminum: Tariffs effective March 23, 2018.

Steel: Tariffs effective March 23, 2018.

Autos and Parts: National security threat declared. Negotiations to resolve threat ongoing.

Uranium: Investigation completed. Determination on national security threat pending.

Titanium Sponge: Investigation ongoing. Determination on national security threat pending.

(Retaliation also in effect, see CRS Insight IN10971, Escalating Tariffs: Potential Impacts.)

Table 3. Section 301 China Trade Barriers Investigation

Investigation of China's IP and Innovation Policies
(stage 3) valued at $200 billion to be subject to10% tariff if China retaliates against Section 301 tariffs.
  • 7/6/2018—United States imposes stage 1 tariffs (25% tariff on $34 billion of U.S. imports).
  • 8/23/2018—United States imposes stage 2 tariffs (25% tariff on $16 billion of U.S. imports).
  • 9/24/2018—In response to Chinese retaliatory tariffs, United States imposes stage 3 tariffs (10% tariffs on $200 billion of U.S. imports to increase to 25% on January 1, 2019).
  • 12/1/2018—President announces new negotiations with China to resolve U.S. concerns and declares stage 3 tariffs will remain at 10%.
  • 5/5/2019—President tweets negotiations are moving too slowly, and plans to increase stage 3 tariffs to 25% and to prepare tariffs on remaining Chinese imports (stage 4).
  • 5/10/2019—United States imposes stage 3 tariff increase to 25%.
  • 5/17/2019—USTR publishes proposed stage 4 tariff list (25% tariff on $300 billion of U.S. imports).

    • Key Dates
    • 8/14/2017—President directs USTR to determine whether it should investigateconsider investigation on China's laws, policies, practices, or actions affecting U.S. intellectual property and forced technology transfers.
    • 8/18/2017—USTR announces it will proceed with Section 301 case against China.
    • 3/22/2018—USTR releases Section 301 report and finds that China's policies are "unreasonable or discriminatory, and burden or restrict U.S. commerce." President signs memorandum proposing to: (1) implement tariffs on certain Chinese imports; (2) initiate a WTO dispute settlement case against China's discriminatory technology licensing; and (3) propose new investment restrictions on Chinese efforts to acquire sensitive U.S. technology.
    • 4/36/2018—USTR releasespublishes proposed list of 1,300 tariff lines list of products to be subject to additional 25% 25% import tariff.
    • 4/5/2018—President directs USTR to consider additional list of Chinese imports to be subject to 25% tariff if China retaliatestariff. 5/19/2018—United States and China release joint statement as initial negotiations held to resolve U.S. concerns.
    • 5/29/2018—President Trump announces U.S. plan to proceed with Section 301 actions, including 25% tariff on $50 billion of U.S. imports from China.
    • 6/15/2018—USTR releases two-stage plan to impose 25% tariffs on approximately $50 billion of Chinese imports (includes final stage 1 product list).
    • 6/18/2018—President directs USTR to propose aadditional list of imports from China valued at $200 billion (stage 3) that would be subject to an additional 10% tariff if China retaliates against Section 301 tariffs, and an additional $200 billion if such retaliation occurs again.
    • 7/10/2018—USTR releases list of proposed imports (stage 3) subject to additional 10% tariff accounting for approximately $200 billion of U.S. imports in 2017.
    • 8/1/2018—President directs USTR to consider increasing the proposed stage 3 tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion of U.S. imports from China.
    • 8/7/2018—USTR publishes final list of stage 2 tariffs.
    • 9/7/2018—President threatens potential stage 4 tariffs on $267 billion of U.S. imports. (As of this writing USTR has not made a formal announcement or published a proposed list of products covered by these tariffs.)
    • 9/17/2018—USTR publishes final list of stage 3 tariffs and announces that tariffs on these products will begin at 10% and increase to 25% on January 1, 2019.

    U.S. Import Restriction

    Stage 1—25% import tariff on 818 U.S. imports (final, approx. $34 billion)

    .

    Stage 2—25% import tariff on 279 U.S. imports (final, approx. $16 billion).

    Stage 3—10% import tariff increasingincreased to 25% on 5,733 U.S. imports (final, approx. $200 billion). Stage 4—25% import tariff on 3,812 to 25% on January 1, 2019 on 5,745 U.S. imports (finalproposed, approx. $200300 billion).

    Countries Affected

    China

    Current Status

    Stage 1—Effective July 6, 2018.

    Stage 2—Effective August 23, 2018.

    Stage 3—Effective September 24, 2018 (10%), May 10, 2019 (25%). Stage 4—Proposed.

    (Retaliation also in effect, see CRS Insight IN10971, Escalating Tariffs: Potential Impacts.)