In the total absence of any announcement from the Department of Commerce or the White House, combined with neither hints nor rumors, we are quietly confident that the issue regarding a Section 232 investigation of possible tariffs on imported transformer cores is now a thing of the past and unlikely to surface again soon. The legal requirement of 270 days for the DoC to produce or complete its report and present it to the President has now expired.  Even if the rumor is true that a report was delivered to the White House in October, the 90 day requirement for the President to act upon the findings has now expired.  Something could change. We could easily be proven wrong. But this is how we see the world of imported transformer cores right now.

In retrospect, we, collectively, as an industry, can be proud of the results of publications, press releases, lobbying, and quiet but effective diplomacy (thank you Canada!). We have all seen some strange and unexplained behavior from USTR and can only wonder and speculate about possible causes and what might have happened behind the scenes.  We suggest that the possibility of retroactive tariffs on transformer cores is unlikely and there has been no guidance regarding any form of quotas. The larger issue of tariffs on imported steel remains, and is likely to be a hot topic over the next 12 months.

Thank you to our sponsors, without whom we could not have mounted this campaign. Thank you also to the individual companies (you know who you are) who launched their own initiatives. Bracewell LLC (our lobbying and public relations communications firm) and Lewis Leibowitz (our legal counsel) have been particularly effective and served us well. We commend their services to you should you need support in the future.  

The activities of The Core Coalition regarding this issue will now cease.  However, as individuals, we will continue to monitor the industry and be available should any need arise. We have made a difference and can engage again.

Best wishes to you for continued good health, and thank you, again, for your support.

The Core Coalition is an alliance of companies active in the transformer industry and those industries that use transformer components in manufacturing, as well as users of transformers. The Coalition was formed to provide information in support of its position that the circumstances and quantity of imports of transformers, cores, laminations, and other transformer inputs do not threaten the national security of the United States (US).