Trump Admin Eyes New Tariff Plan, 15% Duties Could Be Temporary; No Official Word Yet From White House

The Trump administration is working on a new legal plan to keep its trade tariffs in place. This comes after a court said President Trump went too far by using emergency powers to impose them.

The new plan would use the Trade Act of 1974. First, it would add a 15 per cent tariff for 150 days. This step is allowed under Section 122 of the law, which has never been used before. It lets the president place short-term tariffs to fix trade problems.

After 150 days, the administration would move to a longer-term plan using Section 301. This part of the law takes more time and work, but experts say it is more legal and solid. It targets unfair trade practices from other countries.

So far, the White House has not made an official announcement. But Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said other legal options are being reviewed. She did not give details.

Peter Navarro, a top trade adviser, supported the idea. He also mentioned that other old trade laws, like the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act from 1930, could be used. There may even be options tied to national security.

Legal experts say this backup plan is stronger than the first one. The earlier tariffs were based on a law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). But a court ruled on May 28 that IEEPA cannot be used to place such wide tariffs without Congress.

Even though the court ruled against the tariffs, a federal appeals court said on May 29 that the tariffs can stay while the case is being reviewed. This gives the administration time to build its Plan B.

Officials believe that by switching to other trade laws, they can keep the tariffs going. This would help the U.S. in talks with other countries. Some experts think it might even lead to a better trade deal with the EU.

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