A Department of Defense memo to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross supports the findings from Ross that steel and aluminum imports impair U.S. national security.
The Defense Department said it did have some concern that recommendations could impact allies, but it supported Ross in the finding that the imports were a threat to national security.
Earlier this month, the Commerce Department recommended imposing heavy tariffs or quotas on foreign producers of steel and aluminum in the interest of national security, following a trade investigation of imports.
President Donald Trump and his administration announced the so-called Section 232 investigation into steel and aluminum imports in April. The investigation sought to determine whether the imports posed a threat to national security.
On Feb. 16, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross reported that steel is in fact important to U.S. national security, and current import flows are adversely impacting the steel industry.
“[T]he Secretary of Commerce concludes that the present quantities and circumstance of steel imports are ‘weakening our internal economy’ and threaten to impair the national security as defined in Section 232,” the department said.
— CNBC’s Kayla Tausche, Lori Ann LaRocco and Tom DiChristopher contributed to this report.
