How Trump is justifying new tariffs

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: Donald Trump is still trying to implement his tariff agenda. Wait, didn’t the Supreme Court strike that down? Yes — this is the Trump administration’s third try at imposing global tariffs, this time using a narrower provision about unfair trade practices. The Supreme Court ruled in February that Trump’s “emergency” tariffs regime was illegal. And last month, a different court also struck down Trump’s first attempt to reimpose tariffs using a different — and temporary — authority. What is Trump trying to do this time? Earlier this year, the administration began investigating whether US trading partners like Mexico, Canada, and the European Union import goods made with forced labor in their own trade. It has now concluded that 59 countries, plus the EU, do so — and consequently wants to impose tariffs between 10 percent and 12.5 percent on those countries. Under the current administration plan, the tariffs would take effect next month. Some products, such as beef, coffee, and critical minerals, would be exempted from the tariffs, according to the New York Times. What’s the context? Forced labor, obviously, is atrocious; preventing it is a worthwhile goal. That being said, there’s no real reason to believe this effort by the Trump administration comes out of genuine conviction — the EU, for example, already has new forced labor restrictions set to take effect late next year, but is still facing new tariffs. The US also isn’t immune to issues with forced-labor imports, despite laws intended to prevent them. Instead, this is just the latest tool his administration has landed on to do what Trump has been trying to do since he took office: Impose sweeping tariffs in service of an economically illiterate concept of the US economy. What else should I know? Even as Trump tries to impose new tariffs, his administration is also fighting to hold onto some of the $166 billion in revenue it earned illegally from his first round of tariffs. And with that, it’s time to log off… Hey readers, it’s NBA Finals time! If you’re just tuning in, my colleague Benjy Sarlin has the explainer for you here (it’s a gift link). And if you’re trying to decide which team to root for, New York magazine has a bandwagoner’s guide to the Knicks here. (I’m compelled — an underdog is always fun to root for.) Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!