Washington, DC, January 20 (ANI): As US President Donald Trump continues to pursue an aggressive trade agenda, questions have emerged over the legality of his tariffs, which are currently under review by the US Supreme Court.
The court is examining Trump’s use of an emergency law that forms the basis of most of his tariffs. Addressing the issue, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told The New York Times that if the tariffs are struck down, the administration would replace them with alternative levies.
In an interview conducted on January 15 and published on Monday local time, Greer said that if the court does not rule in the administration’s favor, officials would “start the next day” to reestablish tariffs “to respond to the problems the president has identified.” He added that Trump was presented with “a lot of different options” at the beginning of his tenure and could shift to other legal mechanisms if necessary.
“The reality is the president is going to have tariffs as part of his trade policy going forward,” Greer told The New York Times.
Over the past year, the Supreme Court has been considering whether the president’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a 1977 law, to impose tariffs on foreign trading partners is lawful. Trump has cited several reasons for the tariffs, including reducing trade deficits, curbing the inflow of illegal drugs, and addressing other global issues tied to US interests.
According to The New York Times, Trump could rely on other tariff authorities that allow the imposition of import taxes on specific products or exports from certain countries. However, these laws typically require an investigation, the preparation of a report, or a clear economic or national security justification, limiting the president’s flexibility to impose tariffs unilaterally.
The president has previously threatened tariffs on Canada over television advertisements critical of his trade policies and imposed tariffs on Brazilian exports in response to Brazil’s prosecution of former leader Jair Bolsonaro, a political ally, the report said.
Greer noted that Trump could also turn to Section 301, which he used during his first term to impose tariffs on Chinese exports and which survived multiple legal challenges. Other available options include Section 232, a national security statute; Section 122, which relates to balance of payments issues; and Section 338, which allows the United States to respond when another country uniquely discriminates against it.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly criticized Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on European nations over Greenland, calling the move “completely wrong.” In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Starmer reiterated that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and said its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes.
He added that Arctic security is a concern for the entire NATO alliance and said member states must work together to address threats posed by Russia across the region.
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