On June 2, 2020, in a press release, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the initiation of an investigation in vanadium imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.  The investigation will focus on “whether the present quantities or circumstances of vanadium imports into the U.S. threaten to impair the national security.”

The press release identifies vanadium as “a metal used in production of metal alloys and as a catalyst for chemicals across aerospace, defense, energy, and infrastructure sectors.”  The Department of Commerce is seeking public comments until July 20, 2020.

The press release can be found here:

https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2020/06/us-secretary-commerce-wilbur-ross-initiates-section-232-investigation

The notice, scheduled for publication June 3, 2020 and containing instructions for comment submission, can be found here:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/06/03/2020-11926/request-for-comments-section-232-national-security-investigation-of-imports-of-vanadium