Inspector General Audit to Review Adherence to Section 232 Exclusion Process
The Commerce Department's Office of Inspector General announced that it has begun an audit of the Section 232 tariff exclusion process, with the objective of determining whether the Bureau of Industry and Security and International Trade Administration are adhering to the procedures to review those product exclusion requests, and whether "decisions are reached in a consistent and transparent manner."
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According to the department's explainer about audits, it could be nearly a year before results are announced, and any action plan to correct possible deficiencies is suggested. "While it depends on the individual project, we generally issue a final report within a year after the audit announcement date. However, we may shorten or extend this timeline based on the significance of the issues we uncover," the site says. The announcement was Oct. 29.
Audits can be initiated because of a request from Congress, but an IG official declined to comment on whether that was the case for this audit. Members of Congress from both parties have complained about the efficiency and competency of the exclusion request process (see 1808300059 and 1805080026).