The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has as soon as once more proven this Saturday how erratic and arbitrary his financial coverage is: he has introduced that the worldwide tariff that he’s getting ready to use to the remainder of the international locations – to interchange the reciprocal levies annulled on Friday by the Supreme Court – will likely be 15% and never 10%, as he introduced solely 24 hours earlier than. The government order issued and printed on Friday will subsequently have to vary.
In a message on his social community, Truth, Trump said: “Based on a thorough, detailed and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly worded and extraordinarily un-American tariff decision issued yesterday by the Supreme Court of the United States, after many months of reflection, I ask that this statement serve to indicate that I, as President of the United States of America, will increase, effective immediately, the 10% global tariff imposed on countries that, many of them, have been defrauding the United States for decades, without retaliation (until my arrival!), at the fully permitted and legally proven level of 15%.”
Although there have been many indications of the that means of the Supreme Court ruling in opposition to reciprocal tariffs and that outstanding members of the Trump Administration assured that that they had a fast response ready in case the Supreme Court annulled them, the White House has as soon as once more proven indicators of improvisation by rectifying the extent of the tariff charge just a few hours after approving it.
The president depends on Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a rule that enables him to impose non permanent tariffs when there are “fundamental balance of payments problems that require restricting imports.” It is probably the most direct method to substitute the reciprocal tariffs that the Supreme Court has struck down, as a result of Trump invoked commerce deficits to justify these charges.
“Over the coming months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue new legally permissible tariffs, which will continue our extraordinary process of Making America Great Again, BIGGER THAN EVER!”, the Republican president added.
This rule establishes a sequence of limitations: liens might not exceed 15% and can have a time restrict of 150 days. In addition, it requires congressional approval to take care of them. A process that will likely be a tricky check for the president in an election yr, when midterm elections are held and the chamber begins to point out indicators of riot relating to the ability of the White House. Legislators are extra involved about holding their seats than obeying Trump, who has simply three years left in his presidency and has a low ranking within the polls.
Some specialists level out that the part 122 route can function a bridge whereas the Trump Administration tries to rebuild the tariff wall because it was earlier than the Supreme Court ruling.
The American president was livid on Friday after the Supreme Court ruling in opposition to the cornerstone of his financial coverage. “I am ashamed of the judges who voted against. Frankly, they are a shame for our country, because they allowed themselves to be influenced by foreign interests and have not had the courage to do the right thing,” stated the president, visibly offended after the judicial setback by a courtroom with a conservative majority.
After the judicial defeat, the tenant of the White House rushed to concern three presidential orders. The first to approve the final tariff of 10%, which he now desires to boost to fifteen%. To do that, he invokes Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to ascertain liens within the occasion of worldwide cost issues. “The Proclamation imposes, for a period of 150 days, an import tariff to the value of del 10% on items imported into the United States,” states the executive order, which will have to be amended. “The temporary import tariff will take effect on February 24 at 12:01 am (Washington time).”
In another presidential order, Trump maintains the suspension of the exemption from the de minimis system, by which millions of low-value shipments – less than 800 euros – including goods sent through the postal system, most of them coming from China for purchases in Shein or Temu, are subject to tariffs.
The third executive order issued Friday directs the United States Trade Bureau (USTR) to use its Section 301 authority to investigate certain unreasonable and discriminatory acts, policies and practices that impede or restrict U.S. trade in order to establish new tariffs if necessary. The rule requires that an investigation by the Department of Commerce (USTR) be approved before setting the tax. The usual practice is for allegations from the foreign government to be made before approving these tariffs, which means that the procedure is not immediate.
The tariff tangle is complicated by the exemptions approved by Trump for a wide variety of products. “Some goods will not be subject to the temporary importation duty due to the needs of the American economy,” the primary presidential order states. Among the gadgets that won’t pay a industrial import tax are sure crucial minerals and vitality merchandise; fertilizers, agricultural merchandise equivalent to beef, tomatoes, espresso and oranges; pharmaceutical merchandise; digital units; mild vans, buses and heavy autos; aerospace merchandise and data supplies, amongst others.
https://elpais.com/internacional/2026-02-21/trump-eleva-ahora-el-nuevo-arancel-global-al-15-solo-un-dia-despues-de-fijarlo-en-el-10.html