Trump trade chief defiant on Supreme Court ruling, vows to restore tariffs within months
Jamieson Greer tells Fox News Radio he won't wait for Congress to reestablish the trade program
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer joins 'Mornings with Maria' to outline President Donald Trump’s new global tariff strategy and warn trading partners that enforcement is coming.
The Trump administration isn’t letting a Supreme Court setback derail its tariff strategy. The nation’s top trade official says the White House won’t wait on Congress to restore the program.
In a 6-3 ruling last week, the high court struck down President Donald Trump’s global tariff authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Democrats lauded the Supreme Court’s ruling as a victory, arguing tariffs raise prices for everyday Americans.
But U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said while he’s "disappointed," it’s not the end of tariffs, adding that he doesn’t plan on waiting for Congress to reestablish the program. He noted that while some members of Congress have offered to work with the White House, the administration has other strategies.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testifies before the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 9, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"I have had individual members of Congress come to me and express interest in that, and I'm happy to continue having those conversations," Greer said on the "Fox News Rundown" podcast.
"But I’m not [going to] wait for that to reestablish the president’s tariff program," he added.
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Greer said the Trump administration is "very confident" that the program could be back up within months. He confirmed they are pivoting to existing authorities, like Section 301 and Section 232, to launch investigations targeting unfair trade practices and national security threats.
President Donald Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speak to members of the media aboard Air Force One on Oct. 30, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"We are very confident that within the next few months we can reestablish through these investigations, tariffs to deal with the challenges that have been identified by the president," Greer told FOX News Audio White House correspondent Jared Halpern.
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During Tuesday’s State of the Union address, Trump criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling, calling it "very unfortunate" and saying the program brought in revenue for the country.
President Donald Trump answers questions during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 20. The Supreme Court ruled the same day against his use of emergency powers to implement certain international trade tariffs. (Getty Images)
Greer confirmed that no foreign countries have called the United States to renege on trade deals yet, only asking for clarity.
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"It's not really in the interest of these countries to renege on the deal because then their auto tariffs go up, all these other things. So, I'd say they've been very constructive conversations," Greer said.
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Tariffs have become a signature aspect of the second Trump administration. In 2025, the president declared the country’s trade deficit a "national emergency," arguing the IEEPA gave him broad tariff authority.
In response to the Supreme Court ruling, the president wrote on Truth Social that he would raise a global tariff rate to 15%.
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