The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has released a statement from Karen Hansen-Kuhn, Director of Trade and International Strategies, in response to the Supreme Court decision to strike down President Trump’s tariffs enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA):
“Today the Supreme Court ruled Trump’s use of the IEEPA to set tariffs to be illegal. We applaud this decision, yet considerable damage has already been done. The chaotic imposition of tariffs with dubious justifications has broken trust with all our trading partners, including those whose economies are most closely linked to the United States. The results have significantly harmed farmers in the U.S. and abroad. It has undermined the stability farmers need to make decisions about what to plant. Commodity crop producers have been caught in the crossfire, losing out on important export markets, while programs designed to help farmers selling into local and regional markets have been slashed. Farmers in other countries have also confronted erratic tariffs, including for crops we hardly produce, like coffee.
Trade relations should be grounded in rules, including rules that govern how to assess unfair trade practices. The U.S. has a series of well-established programs to decide on those issues and, when needed, impose relevant and specific tariffs. Those programs — rather than impulsive pronouncements about so-called reciprocal tariffs — should be the basis for the sober and fair use of tariffs when they are truly justified. Now, as the administration decides on next steps, the big question is whether those decisions will be made in a fair and transparent manner or rushed through other temporary fixes to extend the destructive tariff chaos.”
For more info and insights into the actions of the Trump administration, follow along at www.iatp.org/tracking-trump-administration
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Based in Minneapolis with offices in Washington, D.C., and Berlin, Germany, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems. To learn more, visit: www.iatp.org.
Download a PDF of the statement here.
