Brendan Smialowski/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Brendan Smialowski/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
When President Trump introduced his sweeping new tariffs this 12 months, many commerce legislation specialists had been startled. Usually, presidents do not have the authority to impose broad tariffs with a snap of their fingers.
However Trump’s advisors have an uncommon new authorized concept. They are saying that so long as there is a nationwide emergency of some sort, Trump might be able to create no matter tariffs he desires. This can be a inventive interpretation of a 1977 legislation referred to as the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act, or IEEPA. To justify his newest tariffs, the president declared nationwide emergencies involving unlawful immigration, the fentanyl disaster, and the commerce deficit.
However no president has ever tried to make use of the legislation on this means.
Now, the destiny of Trump’s tariffs — and the inventive authorized concept behind them — lies with the courts. A few dozen lawsuits have challenged his tariffs, claiming that they’re illegal and presumably even unconstitutional. And a few judges have began to agree.
On at present’s present: What are the President’s powers on the subject of tariffs? The place do they arrive from? What are their limits? And, what would be the destiny of Trump’s tariffs?
For extra on Trump’s tariffs:
This episode was hosted by Willa Rubin and Jeff Guo. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and edited by Jess Jiang. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Harry Paul with an help from Gilly Moon. Alex Goldmark is Planet Cash’s government producer.
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Music: Common Manufacturing Music – “Nonsense,” “Pop and Lock,” and “Pulse Hop”
