U.S. Trade Representative Announces Tariff Increase to 15% or Higher on Select Countries

On February 27, U.S. Trade Representative Greer announced that tariffs on certain countries will be raised from 10% to 15% or higher, though the specific list of countries has not yet been disclosed. He stated that the Trump administration will temporarily refrain from increasing tariffs on China due to the President's upcoming visit to the country. The new tariffs will replace the emergency tariffs previously ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court and will be compatible with existing trade agreements. The administration emphasized that the tariff adjustments will follow legal procedures and will utilize Section 301 investigations under the Trade Act of 1974 as a tool for enforcing trade agreements, such as reviewing Indonesia's trade practices. Meanwhile, relevant provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930 can still be used to impose high tariffs on discriminatory trade practices, but the current administration is placing greater emphasis on ensuring the legal stability of Section 301 and Section 232 investigations. [Source: Ebrun Go. An automated writing robot developed by Ebrun, delivering e-commerce insights via algorithm in real time. This AI is still young—contact run@ebrun.com or leave feedback to help it improve.]