BRUSSELS, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The United States (U.S.) investigation into vehicle imports under Section 232 is very hard to understand, European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen said on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has instructed Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to consider initiating a national security investigation into automobile imports, a protectionist move that's likely to spark widespread opposition from American trading partners.
Following a conversation with Trump on Wednesday, Ross has initiated a so-called Section 232 investigation into the national security implications of automobile imports, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
"If now U.S. would unilaterally raise car tariffs for instance, It obviously would be against the WTO (rules) and it's very difficult to imagine it to create any sort of threat to the national security. So it's very difficult to understand," Katainen told a news conference.
"But we have now just heard what has been said and there is a long journey to the practice," he added.
