The Trump administration on Wednesday opened a new trade probe into foreign manufacturing – an effort that comes after the Supreme Court threw out US President Donald Trump’s previous tariffs by declaring an economic emergency.
Trump and his team have made it clear they are seeking to replace hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenue after the Supreme Court’s February ruling by using separate legislation to introduce new taxes.
In this case, the administration is launching an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which could eventually lead to new import duties. But the US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, in his Wednesday call with reporters, said he did not want to judge the outcome of the process.
“The policy remains the same – the tools can change based on, you know, the adverse nature of the courts and other factors,” Greer said, stressing that the goal was to protect American jobs.
The start of the process to fully replace Trump’s previous tariffs could welcome a return to the drama that rocked the global economy last year.
