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An initiative is gaining momentum in the US Congress that could significantly limit the president’s authority to impose duties. According to the new bill, all duties imposed by the head of state will automatically expire in 60 days unless Congress votes to extend them. This was reported by the American edition of Axios.
The initiative belongs to Republican Don Bacon. His bill has already been supported by at least 12 Republicans in the House of Representatives, as well as several Democrats. The co-sponsors include Jeff Heard (Colorado), Dan Newhouse (Washington) and two other Democrats. Ten more Republicans, according to Bacon, are ready to join, but want to discuss it with trade officials first.
A similar initiative has already been introduced in the Senate, where it was supported by six Republicans along with Democrat Maria Cantwell.
The draft law provides not only for the automatic termination of duties if they are not approved by Congress, but also for the right of Congress to cancel them at any time through a resolution of dissent. This would be a significant change in US policy, where the president previously had virtually sole authority to impose duties.
The initiative was a direct challenge to Donald Trump, who has repeatedly used duties as an instrument of economic pressure. Trump himself has already threatened to veto the bill if it passes both houses of Congress.
An anonymous Republican congressman told reporters that he supported the project because of the damage the duties had done to farmers in his district. “Congress has a responsibility for trade, and it’s clearly spelled out in the Constitution,” he said.
However, not all Republicans are ready to confront Trump. Some of those who are inclined to support him are still hesitant because of his veto threat.
For now, Bacon is in no hurry to put the initiative to a vote, but he does not rule out intensifying efforts in the coming months. “I want the draft law to mature, and I want us to see how the economy reacts – stock exchanges, inflation, unemployment. This could be a real solution,” he said.
Meanwhile, the trade war is already escalating. On Wednesday, the White House initiated new “mirror” duties on imports from dozens of countries, including a 104% tariff on Chinese goods. In response, China imposed an 84% tariff on American products.
The European Union is also preparing painful measures aimed at exports from states that traditionally support Trump. Soybeans from Louisiana (a major source of exports to the EU), beef from Kansas and Nebraska, auto parts from Michigan, cigarettes from Florida, and timber from North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama are particularly at risk.
Despite the successful lobbying of France, Italy and Ireland, which helped to remove American whiskey from the blacklist, other products remain in the final version of European sanctions. These include ice cream from Arizona, electric blankets from Alabama, ties and bow ties from Florida, and washing machines from Wisconsin.
The US soybean industry has already publicly criticised Trump’s trade policy and called on the administration to “review existing and possible future tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China”. However, the White House has shown no signs of stopping the escalation.
