WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday it has opened new national security investigations into the import of personal protective equipment, medical items, robotics and industrial machinery.

The "Section 232" investigations, which were opened on September 2 but not publicly disclosed previously, could be used as a basis of even higher tariffs on a wide swath of medical and industrial goods including imported face masks, syringes, and infusion pumps as well as for robotics and industrial machinery like programmable, computer-controlled mechanical systems and industrial stamping and pressing machines.