US Supreme Court declines steel, Al tariff case

The US Supreme Court has declined to consider a case brought by steel importers regarding the constitutionality of Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs.

The case had been brought by multiple groups involved in steel imports, including steel import trade group American Institute for International Steel (AIIS), Texas-based oil country tubular goods (OCTG) supplier Sim-Tex and California-based steel importer Kurt Orban Partners.

The petition by the groups was an attempt to bypass a three-judge panel with the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which the writ called an "unnecessary and ultimately inconclusive step."

The tariffs were imposed under Section 232 to protect industries vital for national defense such as domestic steel and aluminum production.

AIIS said it was "disappointed" by the Supreme Court's decision and that the case will now head to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.