Hatch Announces Hearing to Examine Tariff Actions by Department of Commerce

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today announced that the Finance Committee will convene a hearing with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to examine the use of tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The hearing will take place on June 20 at 9 a.m. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

“While we share a common goal of pursuing a pro-growth, pro-America agenda, I have made no secret my concerns with the administration’s use of 232 tariffs,” Hatch said. “These tariffs are ultimately paid by American consumers and cause harm to American manufacturers, undermining the success of tax reform. I am pleased that Secretary Ross has agreed to come before the Finance Committee so he can directly engage with members about the effects of steel and aluminum tariffs and Commerce’s ongoing investigation into imports of cars, trucks and auto parts. I remain committed to working with this administration to push trade policies that open up markets for American goods and increase U.S. competitiveness.”

The witness at the hearing will be:

Wilbur Ross, U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Who: Senate Finance Committee
What: “Current and Proposed Tariff Actions Administered by the Department of Commerce”
Where: 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building; Washington, D.C. 20510
When: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 9 a.m.

For media inquiries and additional information, including webcast and testimony details, please visit: http://finance.senate.gov/hearings.

Background: In March, Hatch expressed disappointment with the administration’s announcement of new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports under Section 232 of U.S. trade law, and has raised concerns with the Department of Commerce’s product exclusion process for steel and aluminum products. Hatch also called the Department of Commerce Section 232 investigation into imports of automobiles, trucks and automotive parts deeply misguided. And most recently, Hatch expressed frustration with the administration’s decision to impose steel and aluminum tariffs from the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

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