After Supreme Court setback, Trump administration officials detail tariff plan

The Trump administration is moving forward with new tariff measures after the Supreme Court knocked down the president’s use of emergency power for them.

The Trump administration is moving forward with new tariff measures after the Supreme Court knocked down the president’s use of emergency power for them.

A 10% surcharge on imports took effect this week, though President Trump suggested he would raise it to 15%, the maximum permitted under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, centered on the balance of payments.

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A new proclamation to increase the rate to 15% “where appropriate” is being drafted, according to United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who did not provide details on the timing or framing of it. The timing is still being discussed and “depends on the status of existing negotiations and existing deals,” according to Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council.

“Even in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision, we're going to be able to have a lot of continuity in the president's trade program. It removes some of the flexibility and speed, which is unfortunate. The president used that to great effect to change countries' behavior, open foreign markets, induce investment in the United States. Now, all that being said, we have alternative tools to continue to carry out the president's trade policy,” Greer said.