The U.S. Department of Commerce said on Wednesday it had opened new national security investigations into the import of personal protective equipment, medical items, robotics and industrial machinery.
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The so-called Section 232 investigations, which were opened on September 2 but not publicly disclosed previously, could be used as a basis for higher import tariffs on a wide swath of medical and industrial goods.
That could mean increased levies on imported face masks, syringes and infusion pumps as well as robotics and industrial machinery like programmable computer-controlled mechanical systems and industrial stamping and pressing machines.
“At this stage, details are limited, and a range of potential outcomes remain under discussion,” Philips told Reuters in an emailed statement.
Reporting by Alessandro Parodi Editing by Bernadette Baum and Joe Bavier