Variables in US tariff policy

US tariff policy is facing many uncertainties following the Supreme Court ruling, with the possibility of imposing a 10-15% tariff rate and expanding the investigation under Section 301.

In an interview on the Podforce One program conducted by journalist Miranda Devine, economist Peter Navarro, President Trump's senior advisor on trade and manufacturing, said the Supreme Court ruling was "very narrow" and only rejected the use of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Navarro argued that this decision "further strengthens" the President's other tariff powers.

Mr. Navarro outlined the tools the Trump administration would continue to use, including Section 301 (Trade Act of 1974) for country-specific tariffs, Section 232 (Trade Expansion Act of 1962) for specific goods or industries, and he said President Trump had used Section 122 (Trade Act of 1974) as a 15% global tariff for 150 days. He also mentioned that U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer had expanded the investigation under Section 301 to “add more countries” to the case.

When asked about tariff refunds following the ruling, Navarro stated that the court "gave no guidance" and that this could lead to "years of litigation." He also asserted that tariffs help generate revenue and argued that "foreigners pay the tariffs, not American consumers," while claiming that "there is no evidence in inflation data" to suggest that tariffs cause inflation, as some studies have warned.

In his remarks on domestic manufacturing, Navarro criticized several corporations seeking exemptions, specifically naming Apple and its CEO Tim Cook, claiming that Cook "promised" to move production but "didn't." Navarro also asserted that there has been "$18 trillion" in new investment commitment since the tariffs were imposed, citing indicators such as the Federal Reserve's industrial production data, durable goods orders data, and the US ISM manufacturing index of 52.6 in January 2026, a significant increase from 47.9 in December 2025, to show that the manufacturing sector is expanding.

Earlier, in an interview with Fox Business on February 25 (local time), U.S. Trade Representative Greer stated that the U.S. currently applies a 10% "global tariff" to some countries, but this will increase to 15% for some and possibly even higher for others. This tariff applies to goods exported from around the world to the U.S., except for "exempt items," as stipulated in an executive order signed and issued by President Donald Trump on February 20.

Greer's statement differs from President Trump's recent social media announcement about imposing a uniform 15% global tariff on all countries. This move suggests that in practice, the tariff rate may vary from country to country. The "higher tariff" the official referred to is believed to be a reference to measures following investigations under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974.

Earlier, Greer announced that he had launched investigations into Brazil and China under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, and warned that he would conduct further investigations into several Asian countries with excess production capacity.

With these global tariff measures taking effect on February 24th, countries are closely monitoring the differentiated tariff criteria applied by the US, and whether they will affect key products from these countries entering the US market.

Source: VTV