Does Donald Trump have unlimited authority to impose tariffs?
Yes, but other factors could hold him back
THE ORIGINAL intention was for American presidents to be mere legal executors—not emperors able to impose their will unilaterally. Over time, though, Congress has ceded more and more authority to the executive branch, and the courts, the third coequal branch of government, have happily blessed the arrangement. Nowhere is this clearer than in trade policy.
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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “What might hold Tariff Man back?”
United States November 30th 2024
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- Does Donald Trump have unlimited authority to impose tariffs?
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From the November 30th 2024 edition
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