Applicants for Exemptions Get Time to Respond to Objections

The White House has changed its process for reviewing requests for exemptions from steel tariffs. Companies now have more time to respond to attempts to block their requests.

Previously, big steel companies could file objections at the end of the 30-day comment period asking the administration to deny a request for exemption. It was often too late for the companies that applied to respond before the Department of Commerce issued its decision.

Now, companies that submit tariff exclusion requests will have time after the close of the comment period to respond to objections. The objector then gets another chance to respond.

The new rebuttal process will apply to all businesses that haven’t received final decisions from the government. Those that have been denied can reapply.

As of Monday, about 38,000 exclusion requests have been filed by steel users; about 19,000 have drawn objections from domestic steelmakers. About 2,550 have been approved, while more than 1,800 have been denied, the Commerce Department reports.

Sources: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, WENY