Trump administration kicks off new process to try to replace tariffs struck down by U.S. Supreme Court

Trump administration initiates new investigations to establish tariffs following Supreme Court's ruling, aiming to recover lost revenue.

The Trump administration on Wednesday (March 11, 2026) opened a new trade investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries — an effort that comes after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency.

Mr. Trump and his team have made clear that they're seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the Supreme Court's February ruling by using different laws to establish new tariffs.

In this case, the administration is starting investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which could eventually lead to new import taxes. But U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, in a Wednesday call with reporters, said he didn't want to prejudge the outcome of the process.

“The policy remains the same — the tools may change depending on, you know, the vagaries of courts and other things," said Mr. Greer, stressing that the goal was to protect American jobs.

The start of the process to fully replace Mr. Trump's prior tariffs could invite a return of much of the drama that rattled the global economy last year.

The since-overturned tariffs led to new frameworks with U.S. trade partners — and it's unclear what impact a new set of import taxes could have on those agreements. Mr. Greer described the trade frameworks as standing on their own and suggested they were separate from the new investigation.