Trump Using ‘Authority’ He Lacks ‘Under the Law’ to Impose Tariffs, CTA's Shapiro Says

With the U.S. “on the cusp” of Section 301 tariffs scheduled to rise to 25 percent Jan. 1, 2019, on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, President Donald Trump “has taken the authority that he does not have under the law” when he ordered the imposition of the duties, Consumer Technology Association President Gary Shapiro told the American Legislative Exchange Council’s States & Nation Policy Summit on Nov. 29. Speaking before an audience of mainly conservative state legislators, Shapiro stopped well short of threatening a CTA court challenge to block the higher tariffs from taking effect (see 1811090044).

The tariffs will hurt “thousands” of American tech companies, but also “our farmers and others as China is retaliating,” Shapiro said. “I travel around the world. I talk to government leaders. This is just not a China-U.S. issue. Every developed country in the world is concerned about this tariff war, which can not only lead us into a recession, but potentially a depression.” By imposing the tariffs, the administration is “going against” the American “brand of freedom” in trade and the “welcoming in” of foreign trade partners, Shapiro said. He conceded that China “is not a fair player, by the way. But raising tariffs, in our view, is not the way” to curb China’s unfair trade practices, he said. CTA didn’t comment.