[1] Section 232 of the act permits the president to impose tariffs based on a recommendation by the U.S. secretary of commerce if "an article is being imported into the United States in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten or impair the national security.

"[2] This section was used only in 1979 and 1982,[2] and had not been invoked since the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1995,[3] until President Trump cited it on March 8, 2018, to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum.

It paved the way for the Kennedy Round of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations, concluding on June 30, 1967, the last day before expiration of the Act.

[5][6][7][8][9] On March 8, 2018, President Trump signed an order to impose the tariffs on steel and aluminum under Section 232 of the act and citing "national security" grounds.

[10] On May 23, 2018, President Trump "instructed Secretary Ross to consider initiating a Section 232 investigation into imports of automobiles, including trucks, and automotive parts to determine their effects on America's national security.