The U.S. Commerce Department has launched a Section 232 investigation into the commercial aircraft industry to assess potential tariffs, quotas or other ways to protect national security, according to a filing published Tuesday in the Federal Register.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick initiated the investigation into imports of commercial aircraft, jet engines and aircraft parts May 1, per the filing. Focus areas include foreign government assistance to domestic companies, trade practices and export restrictions.
More specifically, the department aims to determine whether foreign subsidies and predatory trade practices affect competition within the global commercial aircraft industry. Other interest areas include whether state-sponsored overproduction has artificially suppressed prices and the ability of other countries to weaponize their control over aircraft industry supply.
The department wants to hear from interested parties on “whether additional measures, including tariffs or quotas, are necessary to protect national security,” according to the filing.
The investigation comes about a month after the department initiated a Section 232 probe into the national security implications of importing semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and derivative products. In February, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on aluminum and steel following a similar investigation.
In the aircraft industry, the department is examining the feasibility of increasing domestic manufacturing capacity to reduce reliance on imports. The investigation includes determining current and projected domestic demand for commercial aircraft, engines and parts, as well as how closely the nation's manufacturers can meet that demand and the feasibility of increasing U.S. capacity to reduce import reliance.
The Commerce Department filing seeks comments from affected organizations. They can submit written comments, data, analyses or other relevant information to the department's Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security. Interested parties must submit comments by June 3.
Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act authorizes the Commerce Department to investigate whether specific imports threaten or impair national security.
