Trump launches critical minerals probe for tariffs

Broad effort: Trump leaves an event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. His administration is initiating investigations into semiconductors and pharmaceutical imports, led by the Commerce Department. — AP

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has launched a probe into the need for tariffs on critical minerals, the latest action in an expanding trade war that has targeted key sectors of the global economy.

The order, which Trump signed on Tuesday, calls for the Commerce Secretary to initiate a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to “evaluate the impact of imports of these materials on America’s security and resilience”, according to a White House fact sheet.