Grassley Says He'll Still Push for Auto Section 232 Report
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said that the Trump administration's argument that the Section 232 report justifying tariffs on imported autos is protected by executive privilege (see 2001210054) is not the last word. Grassley, who was speaking Feb. 11 on a conference call with reporters, said he will keep pushing, though he has not yet contacted the White House or the Commerce Department. He said the next step is to consult with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Finance Committee.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
Grassley said again that he thinks the reason the report is being hidden is because of its poor quality. He said it's important that it get released because Congress passed a law saying it had to be. It's one thing for the Commerce Department to dismiss him, he said -- saying he “got a finger poked in my eye” by the agency -- but “it's quite a different thing when 535 members of Congress say it ought to be released.” Grassley also said he expects the U.S. trade representative to keep his committee apprised on negotiations with the United Kingdom, Kenya and Japan.