WASHINGTON: The US Commerce Department said Wednesday it launched an inquiry that could allow the Trump administration to impose tariffs on auto imports over national security concerns. "There is evidence suggesting that, for decades, imports from abroad have eroded our domestic auto industry," Ross said. The Trump administration had used the same justification to slap steep tariffs on steel and aluminum, raising the specter of a trade war. - 'Great American autoworkers' -The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Wednesday that Trump was asking for vehicle import tariffs as high as 25 percent. But Washington imposes 25 percent tariffs on European pick-ups and trucks -- which the EU taxes at a much lower 14 percent on average.

Source: Bangkok Post May 24, 2018 02:15 UTC