The Trump administration plans to continue to advance tariff investigations during the shutdown

Even as the federal government shuts down, the Trump administration will press ahead with investigations into some imports to lay the groundwork for further tariffs. The Commerce Department said in its shutdown contingency plan released on Monday that it would continue to carry out "necessary work to address the national security implications of imports". The contingency guidance represents a subtle shift from previous plans to rely on unexpired funds if Congress fails to approve additional spending by the end of the fiscal year on September 30. By invoking national security grounds, the current administration can continue to investigate under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. With more investigations pending, the Commerce Department is assessing whether imports of lumber, semiconductors, critical minerals, commercial aircraft and jet engines, drone systems, polysilicon and wind turbines are harming U.S. security.