U.S. Trade Representative: Tariffs Were Ruled Illegal, But Negotiations Will Continue
On Sunday, August 31, the U.S. Trade Representative, Grilley, stated that although the appellate court recently ruled that most of the tariffs imposed by President Trump were illegal, the Trump administration is still pushing negotiations with trade partners.
According to Reuters, on Sunday, Trade Representative Jamison Grilley told Fox News program "Fox & Friends" that: "Our trade partners are still in close negotiations with us. Regardless of what rulings the courts make during this process, countries will continue to push their own agreements." He did not reveal which specific countries are currently under discussion, but said that he spoke with a foreign trade minister on Saturday, August 30, regarding tariff issues.
This ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals has shaken a core diplomatic tool that Trump has relied on since the beginning of his second term in January this year - tariffs. Trump has used import tariffs as a pressure tool to force trade partners to renegotiate agreements, despite the fact that this approach has also increased market volatility.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled 7-4 on Friday, August 29, stating that while Congress granted the president broad powers in times of national emergency, it did not "clearly authorize the president to impose tariffs, taxes or similar measures." This ruling involved the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" announced by Trump in April and the tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico in February, but does not affect tariffs implemented under other legal authorizations.
Trump criticized the ruling that day and vowed to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The appellate court allowed the relevant tariffs to remain in effect until October 14 to allow time for the appeals process.
Trade experts pointed out that the Trump administration had already anticipated this outcome and prepared alternative plans to maintain the tariff measures. Liptsky, director of international economic affairs at the Atlantic Council, said: "If other countries think they can gain tariff reductions through this, they will be disappointed. They will find that the U.S. has prepared multiple alternative options, even if the Supreme Court ultimately supports the appellate court's ruling."
He added that one possible alternative is to use Section 338 of the 1930 Trade Act, allowing the president to impose up to a 50% tariff on countries deemed to discriminate against U.S. trade.
Trump again voiced his opinion on social media on Saturday, saying: "If the tariffs are eventually approved by the court, the United States is about to have an important year, perhaps the best year in history!"
On Sunday, Trump went to a golf club in Virginia to welcome the Labor Day holiday on September 1.
White House trade advisor Navarro said on another Fox News program that the government is confident that the Supreme Court, which is majority conservative (6-3), will support Trump's tariffs.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842015969344588/
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