The administration is preparing to initiate new tariff investigations aimed at multiple countries on the grounds of alleged unfair trade practices, according to people familiar with the plans. Officials are expected to make the announcement as soon as Wednesday, with the measures to be pursued under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Section 301 provides authority for the president to levy tariffs on foreign governments that discriminate against U.S. firms or otherwise impede U.S. commerce. The upcoming probes will be carried out by the U.S. Trade Representative's office, which will engage in consultation with the governments of the countries under review.
The review process under Section 301 will include formal steps before any duties can be imposed. That process requires the USTR to hold hearings and make opportunities available for public comment, allowing businesses, trade groups and other stakeholders to present information and arguments relevant to the investigations.
According to the officials briefed on the plan, these Section 301 investigations are intended to serve as a follow-up to the temporary 10% global duties the president put in place last month. Those 10% levies were introduced after a recent ruling by the Supreme Court found many of the administration's second-term tariffs to be unlawful, prompting the shift to a new legal pathway.
Within the USTR-led process, consultations with foreign governments are a prescribed element, and hearings and comment periods are designed to provide transparency and input before any additional levies would be finalized. The administration's use of Section 301 in this instance is framed as a replacement mechanism for the short-term global duties currently in force.
The timing of the announcement - potentially as soon as Wednesday - was described by sources familiar with the plans. Beyond that timeline and the procedural steps outlined under Section 301, details about which specific countries would be targeted or the scope of potential tariffs were not provided by those sources.
Clear summary
The administration will announce Section 301 investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by multiple countries, to be run by the U.S. Trade Representative's office and accompanied by consultations, hearings and public comment. These probes are meant to replace temporary 10% global duties enacted last month after a Supreme Court ruling affected earlier second-term tariffs.
Key context
- Investigations will be initiated under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes tariffs on nations that discriminate against U.S. firms or commerce.
- The U.S. Trade Representative's office will conduct the probes and must consult with foreign governments as part of the process.
- The process includes hearings and opportunities for public comment prior to any imposition of levies.