The U.S. Commerce Department launched a Section 232 national security investigation Wednesday into imports of mobile cranes from Germany, Austria, Japan and elsewhere, following a complaint by domestic producer Manitowoc Co.
The investigation could potentially lead to new U.S. tariffs on imports of such cranes.
Manitowoc in December petitioned the department, arguing that increased imports of low-priced mobile cranes and intellectual property infringement by foreign competitors had harmed the domestic mobile crane manufacturing industry.