The U.S. Department of Commerce has launched a national security investigation into imports of personal protective equipment, medical consumables and medical equipment, signaling a potential for future tariffs. The probe, initiated under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, comes amid recent tariff actions by the Trump administration.
Here are four notes:
The investigation will assess whether the U.S. reliance on foreign medical imports poses a risk to national security, according to a Sept. 24 letter from the Bureau of Industry and Security. Covered products include surgical masks, gloves, ventilators, imaging machines and other critical medical tools. The review excludes pharmaceuticals, which are subject to a separate Section 232 investigation.
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