So, you know how President Donald Trump likes tariffs? Well, after the Supreme Court threw a wrench in one of his favorite tariff-imposing mechanisms on Friday, the administration is apparently just reaching for a different tool from the box. According to reports, they're now weighing a fresh round of national security–based tariffs across a bunch of industries.

Think of it like this: the court said "not that lever," so the White House is looking for another one to pull. And this one—Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962—gives the president pretty broad authority to slap tariffs on imports deemed a risk to national security.

The New Targets

The proposed tariffs could hit a surprisingly diverse shopping list of sectors. We're talking large-scale batteries, cast iron, plastic piping, industrial chemicals, and telecommunications equipment. That's according to a Wall Street Journal report on Monday.

Now, there's a process here. The Commerce Department has to investigate these things before any tariffs can go into effect. So the timeline is fuzzy. But once they're in place, the president can tweak them pretty much on his own. It's not a quick switch, but it's a powerful one.

And this isn't even the full menu. The administration was already looking at Section 232 tariffs for nine other industries, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, drones, industrial robots, and solar-grade polysilicon. Many of those probes started almost a year ago. After last week's court ruling, officials might decide to put the pedal to the metal on some of those, too.

Revamping the Old Guard

It's not just about new tariffs. The administration is also pushing ahead with plans to change the existing national security tariffs on steel and aluminum. Here's the twist: while the changes might actually lower the headline tariff rate, they'd apply duties to the full value of imported products, not just the steel or aluminum content.

Let's say you import a finished machine made of steel. Right now, the tariff might only apply to the value of the steel in it. Under the new plan, the tariff could apply to the value of the whole machine. So even with a lower rate, the total bill could go up for a lot of companies. It's a classic case of "watch how we calculate it, not just the percentage."

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from MarketDash.

Global Ripples and Pushback

It's important to keep these potential Section 232 tariffs separate from other duties Trump announced after the Supreme Court ruling. Those involve hiking the global tariff rate to 15% from 10% for five months, plus other tariffs scheduled under a different law (Section 301). The president wasn't happy with the court, calling its decision "anti-American."

Unsurprisingly, the world is already reacting. The European Commission urged the U.S. to respect its trade deals and provide "full clarity." They're worried this situation could mess up efforts to get "fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial" trade across the Atlantic. Meanwhile, China said it's assessing the impact and, of course, called for getting rid of the unilateral tariffs.

So, the tariff saga continues. One door closes at the Supreme Court, and the administration starts knocking on several others. For companies in batteries, chemicals, telecom, and beyond, it might be time to check the hinges.