The investigation, which the administration previewed last month, will be conducted under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act. President Donald Trump relied on the same provision in his first term to impose sweeping tariffs on Chinese products, which largely remain in effect. Greer’s announcement came less than three weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that many of the tariffs Trump imposed last year, relying on a 1977 economic emergency powers law, were unconstitutional. At the time, the president vowed to continue his campaign to reshape global trade using other legal authorities. The Trump administration has negotiated trade deals with most of the countries it now plans to investigate, raising the prospect of new tariffs on their goods.

Source: Washington Post March 12, 2026 02:09 UTC