Foreign trade

Citing national security interests, Trump orders investigation into foreign steel

The government is launching an investigation into steel dumping and other trade practices detrimental to the domestic industry.

President Donald Trump is expected to order the study Thursday, according to an official at the Department of Commerce, which will run the investigation.

It could lead to increased tariffs and penalties on steel imports, the official said.

Authority for the investigation comes from the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which gives Commerce broad authority over trade affecting national security.

Steel trade raises national security concerns because of the country’s reliance on domestic capacity to produce materials for the infrastructure and for defense, the commerce official said.