Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : Should he return to office, Donald Trump has signaled a radical protectionist shift in U.S. economic policy, centered on two aggressive proposals: imposing a 10% universal baseline tariff on all imported goods and levying tariffs of 60% or more on all goods from China. This plan represents a dramatic escalation of the trade disputes from his first term and sets the stage for major legal battles at home and severe economic fallout abroad.
At the heart of the domestic issue is the question of executive power. Historically, the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate commerce and impose tariffs. However, over the decades, Congress has delegated significant authority to the President through laws like the Trade Act of 1974 and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Trump would likely leverage these acts to implement his tariffs unilaterally, bypassing the legislative process.
This move would almost certainly trigger a legal firestorm. Opponents would argue that such broad tariff authority constitutes an unconstitutional overreach of executive power, challenging it based on the "non-delegation doctrine"—the principle that one branch of government cannot delegate its constitutional powers to another. While the Supreme Court has historically been hesitant to limit presidential power in foreign commerce, the current court's composition and its interest in re-examining long-standing precedents could make for a contentious and unpredictable legal showdown.
Beyond the domestic legal hurdles, the global repercussions would be swift and severe. A universal 10% tariff would function as a massive tax on American consumers and businesses, disrupting global supply chains and increasing the cost of countless goods.
More critically, such a move would invite inevitable retaliation from trading partners. The European Union, China, and other major economies would not absorb such a blow passively. They would respond with their own tariffs targeting key American exports, from agricultural products to manufactured goods. This tit-for-tat escalation could quickly spiral into a full-blown global trade war, damaging not only the U.S. economy but also threatening the stability of the entire international trading system. The plan effectively gambles with domestic economic health and global partnerships in pursuit of an aggressive "America First" agenda.
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