A “very liberal, expansive approach” by the US Commerce Department on tariffs has sparked a new wave of 700 requests from American industry. After a near-100% success rate for a list in August, US firms are now asking for levies on everything from bicycles to industrial machinery.
The August consultation added 407 items to the “steel derivatives” list. This success encouraged firms like Guardian Bikes and Red Gold to submit their own detailed pleas before the October 21 deadline, arguing “unfair” foreign competition.
Red Gold’s 12-page letter, for example, detailed how it pays high tariffs on raw steel, while foreign competitors can import finished cans without a comparable levy. This, they claim, allows importers to undercut them.
This policy is causing alarm in Europe. The UK and EU, which have separate trade deals with baseline tariffs of 10% and 25% respectively, now face an additional tariff on their steel-containing goods.
They argue this “makes a mockery” of their agreements, as it introduces a new, “rolling” list of tariffs that bypasses the stability the pacts were meant to ensure.
A decision on the 700 items is expected by January. Analysts warn this “expansionist” US policy is creating significant trade uncertainty for its allies.
