The US Commerce Department under the Donald Trump administration announced Wednesday that a new investigation had been launched for goods considered indispensable to national security. As a result, a probe into imports of robotics, medical equipment and industrial machinery is making headlines this week, hinting at a potentially fresh addition to the US president’s slew of tariffs.
What is the new tariff investigation about?
According to Federal Register notices, the inquiries into the matter commence on September 2 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. Under the investigations launched earlier, but disclosed belatedly, companies have been asked to map out their estimated demand for robotics and industrial machinery.
On top of that, they’ve even been required to determine how much of the “domestic production of robotics and industrial machinery, and their parts and components can meet domestic demand,” according to Reuters.
The probes further draws attention to the reliance on foreign supply chains needed to satisfy American demand. This particularly comes under scrutiny at a time when Trump is severely bent on making the ‘America First’ agenda work by focussing on domestic sources and manufacturing and relegating secondary importance to imports.
Goods that could be hit by the new Trump tariffs
In the medical arena, the tariff regime could encompass imported surgical face masks, infusion pumps and syringes. N95 respirators, gloves, gowns, IV bags, sutures, wheelchairs, hospital beds, gauze or bandages and crutches may as well be lumped into the group of affected medical instruments.
Some other surgical needs covered in the probe are insulin pumps, computed tomography scanners, magnetic resonance imaging machines, pacemakers, heart valves, hearing aids, blood glucose monitors, coronary stents and orthopedic appliances.
As per Bloomberg’s report, the new series of investigations will not look at pharmaceuticals like prescription drugs and biologics, as they are already the focus of another probe by the Commerce Department.
The new wave of higher tariffs could significantly impact goods like programmable computer-controlled mechanical systems and pressing machine and industrial stamping on the other side of the conversation. The robotic investigations include a pool of things like tools needed for cutting, welding and handline workpieces, industrial ovens, laser and water-cutting tools, autoclaves and other such machinery.