Trump Governance Launches National Security Examination Targeting Heavy Truck Imports
WASHINGTON D.C. – Teh United States Department of Commerce (DOC) announced on April 22,2025,the opening of a Section 232 investigation into imports of medium and heavy trucks,as well as their parts,citing potential threats to national security. The investigation, authorized under a 1962 trade expansion act signed by President John F. Kennedy, will determine if the volume of these imports compromises U.S. national security.
The move echoes a strategy previously analyzed by Jean-François Boittin of the French Institute of international Relations (IRFI) in June 2017, who described Section 232 as a “rarely used” tool allowing the administration to justify protectionist policies under the guise of national security concerns.
Former President Donald Trump publicly linked the health of the trucking industry to national security, stating on his Truth Social account on September 25, 2025: “We need our truckers to be financially solid and healthy, for many reasons, but above all for reasons of national security!” He further invoked the need for protection “against external interruptions” impacting large heavyweight manufacturers.
The DOC notice requesting public comments on the investigation, published in the Federal Register on April 25, 2025, details the scope of the inquiry. While the specific methods for implementing potential tariffs or othre trade restrictions remain undisclosed, the investigation raises concerns about a potential escalation of trade tensions. This action builds on a pattern of tariff implementation during Trump’s prior presidency, the legal consequences of which were previously examined by Shannon Togawa Mercer and matthew Kahn in a 2018 Lawfare article.
Sources:
* Notice of Request for public Comments on Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Trucks, Federal Register
* America Trades Down: The Legal Consequences of President Trump’s tariffs
* American protectionism: Section 232, “Joker” by President Trump?
* Post by Donald J. Trump relating to (big!) Heavy goods
* Post by Donald J. Trump concerning medication
* Post by Donald J. Trump on the surchans of several furniture
