ALBAWABA - The Trump administration is ready to double down on its trade agenda with a more permanent tariff regime after losing a legal challenge that overturned several of its emergency-based trade measures, using long-standing U.S. trade regulations.
Israel tells US Pentagon it’s keeping its forces inside ‘security zones’ in Gaza, Lebanon, and SyriaDonald Trump’s return to power in 2025 saw him immediately imposing sweeping tariffs to force major trading partners back to the negotiating table on trade. But the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled down several of those regulations, requiring the government to choose an alternative legal route.
The first phase of the new policy applies tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on imports from 60 countries alleging concerns about lack of enforcement of forced labor rules. The efforts are the first steps of a broader trade push officials hope to expand in the months ahead.
Meanwhile, more investigations into suspected unfair trade practices are already underway, including areas such as excess industrial production, intellectual property violation and national security vulnerabilities in critical industries like semiconductors, robotics and advanced manufacturing.
The administration is using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 — a law Trump used in his first term to impose tariffs on China — to replace temporary tariffs that recently expired. The new regulations will include practically all U.S. imports, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative stated.
Trade experts said the move to existing legal institutions might make the tariff structure more durable and give firms greater confidence about future import costs. The measures are also likely to squeeze foreign governments that are trying to keep access to the $3.4 trillion U.S. import market.
The administration is also expected to initiate more tariff investigations into 16 key trading partners, including China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Vietnam. The probes will look at trade policies focused on export-led growth and industrial subsidies.
Despite growing worldwide worry, some U.S. manufacturers said the new tariffs mainly met their expectations, with many companies previously having factored in import duties staying in the 10%-15% range.
