Why are the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and SOCMA urging a targeted tariff approach under Section 301 instead of broad duties?

The ACC and SOCMA urge a targeted tariff approach because broad duties—such as the proposed 12.5% blanket tariff on goods from 54 economies including China, the EU, Canada, and Mexico—risk raising costs for critical chemical industry inputs like feedstocks, intermediates, specialty chemicals, plastics, equipment, and intracompany shipments that support domestic manufacturing; while tariffs could help address structural excess capacity and nonmarket practices harming US producers, undifferentiated duties threaten to undermine the very domestic manufacturing they aim to protect.

What legal development prompted the USTR to pivot to Section 301 for its tariff program?

The USTR pivoted to Section 301 following a February 2026 US Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Trump administration’s previous framework for baseline and reciprocal duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, forcing the agency to seek a longer-term legal basis for tariffs while continuing to face legal challenges to temporary Section 122 duties.

ACC, SOCMA Urge Targeted Tariff Approach as USTR Pivots to Section 301

Jun 11, 2026

ACC and SOCMA urged the USTR to adopt a targeted Section 301 tariff approach to address excess capacity without disrupting critical chemical feedstock supply chains. Industry groups warned against broad duties impacting US manufacturing competitiveness amid proposed actions on 60 trading partners.

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ACC, SOCMA Urge Targeted Tariff Approach as USTR Pivots to Section 301

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ACC, SOCMA Urge Targeted Tariff Approach as USTR Pivots to Section 301

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