The fate of many of President Trump’s tariffs hangs in the balance at the Supreme Court, but he is rapidly building out a backup plan.
The Supreme Court is set to begin considering whether the tariffs that Mr. Trump has placed on countries including Switzerland and India earlier this year are unconstitutional. But the Trump administration has been erecting another system of tariffs that is impervious to the legal challenge.
The administration has proposed or issued tariffs that cover more than a third of U.S. imports under a legal provision related to national security, known as Section 232. They include many critical products for American businesses and consumers, including cars, machinery, medical devices and semiconductors.
The president expanded the use of the national security law on Thursday night, saying he would put tariffs ranging from 25 percent to 100 percent on imports of pharmaceuticals, semi trucks, kitchen cabinets and furniture beginning Oct. 1.
A day earlier, his administration opened investigations that could result in tariffs on industrial machinery, robotics, medical devices and personal protective gear. Tariffs on other industries, including semiconductors and the electronics that contain them, are still pending and could raise costs further for consumers and businesses.
Mr. Trump has used Section 232 to issue tariffs on steel, aluminum, cars and copper. The Commerce Department, which oversees this type of tariff, has an array of other Section 232 investigations pending — into timber, critical minerals, aircraft and wind turbines — which could result in more tariffs.
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The post Trump Expands Tariffs Beyond Supreme Court’s Reach appeared first on New York Times.
