U.S. trade chief says administration would immediately replace tariffs if struck down

Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative and President Trump’s top trade negotiator, said in a Jan. 15 interview with The New York Times that if the Supreme Court strikes down the president’s tariffs the administration would begin replacing them “start the next day.” Greer said advisers had given the president “a lot of different options” to achieve his trade goals, and mentioned alternative legal authorities the administration could use, including Section 301, Section 232, Section 122 and Section 338.

The tariffs at issue rest largely on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which the Supreme Court has been reviewing. The court could rule in the coming weeks, potentially as soon as Tuesday, either revoking some or all of that authority or upholding the administration’s approach.

Critics and some legal experts have called the president’s threats to use emergency powers to impose tariffs a misuse of the statute, and several advisers and commentators warned those threats could complicate the administration’s legal argument. Greer expressed optimism the court would rule for the administration and said, “The reality is the president is going to have tariffs as part of his trade policy going forward.” But legal and economic experts quoted in the article said an adverse ruling might force changes in tactics even if Mr.

Key Topics

Politics, Jamieson Greer, President Trump, Ieepa, Supreme Court