U.S. Launches New Online Portal to Submit Section 232 Exclusions Request

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) on Thursday has introduced a web portal to be used for submitting Section 232 exclusion requests. Section 232 duties and quotas are assessed on imports of aluminium and steel, and are currently filed on www.regulations.gov which is now replaced by a new portal.

Effective June 13, 2019, all NEW exclusion requests must be submitted using a new '232 Exclusion Portal'. The new process will be more streamlined and provides enhanced data integrity and quality controls. In the new system, one must first register as a user. A detailed user guide is available.

Objections to exclusion requests, rebuttals, and surrebuttals, are to be filed in the portal where the original exclusion request was submitted. The Bureau of Industries and Security (BIS) will accept comments on the new process, through August 9, 2019. The new portal is aimed at streamlining the exclusion process while enhancing data integrity and quality controls.

Section 232 is used as a trade remedy against threats to national security and was enacted by U.S. for aluminium and steel imports as of March 23, 2018.

The department said in the Federal Register notice that while www.regulations.gov was readily available to quickly implement the exclusions process, the site was not easily adaptable to the 232 submissions process, particularly as it evolved into a multi-step system and required a significant amount of human data entry. As a result, Commerce determined that "a specifically designed Web-based portal would be easier and more efficient for both outside parties and the department.

Commerce will accept public comments on the new portal until August 9, according to the notice. The department will continue to use regulations.gov to process all exclusion requests that have already been filed or that are filed no later than June 12, including related submissions that are filed in regulations.gov after June 12, until the underlying exclusions requests receive a final decision, Commerce said.

As per the industry reports, about 51,345 steel and aluminium tariff exclusion requests had been filed by 905 firms as of March 2019. Of these, 45,328 exclusion requests sought exemption from the steel tariffs, and the BIS had reached a decision on 61.9% - approving 21,464 and denying 6,588. Of the remaining 6,017 exclusion requests, filed for an exemption from the aluminium tariffs, the BIS had reached a decision on 78.2%, with 4,069 approved and 637 denied.