White House trade adviser Peter Navarro called Wednesday for Congress to give President Trump greater power to unilaterally impose tariffs.
Specifically, he wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that lawmakers should pass legislation called the U.S. Reciprocal Trade Act, which would allow the White House unilaterally impose tariffs if other countries’ tariffs or nontariff barrier exceed U.S. ones.
Navarro argued that the bill would be an effective tool for getting other countries to adjust their trade policies. “The USRTA would authorize the president to bring to the negotiating table any American trading partner that applies higher nonreciprocal tariffs or nontariff barriers. If such a trading partner refuses to lower its tariffs or other barriers, the president would have the power to impose reciprocal duties,” he wrote.
Otherwise, existing international rules allow other countries to take advantage of the U.S., he claimed: “Whether you’re a pure free trader or a fair, reciprocal and balanced trader like the president, if you live in a relatively low-tariff country like the U.S., you should oppose an international trading system that helps institutionalize nonreciprocal tariffs.”
Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., introduced the legislation in January. It would require the White House to engage in at least some negotiations with other countries and to notify Congress before imposing tariffs, but they would not require congressional approval.
Trump called for its passage in his State of the Union address in February but the legislation has found little support in the Congress. It has just 27 co-sponsors and has had no activity since its introduction. Republicans and Democrats alike have criticized Trump’s use of tariffs and have shown little interest in further expanding his powers to impose them.
