OAN Staff Jenna Lee and Brooke Mallory
6:28 PM – Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Following the Supreme Court’s February 2026 decision to strike down previous trade mandates, the Trump administration pivoted by implementing temporary import taxes to stabilize the nation’s trade policy.
However, since these emergency levies are legally capped and set to expire in less than three months, the administration is now in a race against time to establish a more permanent framework.
Officials are moving swiftly to implement legally resilient, long-term tariffs that will stand up to judicial review, secure reliable revenue for the U.S. Treasury, and reinforce President Donald Trump’s strong America-first trade strategy — protecting U.S. workers, industries, and economic sovereignty.
“For too long, American workers and firms have been forced to compete against foreign producers who may have an artificial cost advantage gained from the scourge of forced labor,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in March. The administration could use the new tariffs to punish scofflaws.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will soon convene hearings for two investigations expected to trigger a new round of tariffs.
Meanwhile, the strategic shift follows a February 20th Supreme Court ruling which declared that while a national emergency typically grants a president broad latitude to regulate economic activity, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) “does not authorize” the unilateral imposition of global tariffs.
The administration had originally petitioned the High Court for an expedited ruling in September 2025, hoping to secure clear federal power to enact sweeping import taxes. While the administration previously enjoyed victories on the Court’s emergency docket — granting Trump the latitude to use executive orders (EOs) for high-profile federal funding cuts and personnel terminations — the Court drew a firm line on trade.
Forced to navigate more traditional and time-consuming regulatory paths, the Trump administration is now launching a newest push expected to be more legally resilient than its predecessor.
According to Erica York of the Tax Foundation, these targeted economies represent 70% of all U.S. imports, meaning the current probe will likely serve as the catalyst for a expansive new round of tariffs.
To build this “sturdier” foundation, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is holding hearings next week to investigate whether 16 major trading partners, including China, Japan, and the European Union (EU), are disadvantaging American manufacturers through overproduction and price manipulation.
Confirmed Hearings Schedule:
- Dates: May 5th through May 8th
- Start time: 10:00 a.m. ET each day
- Location: U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), main hearing room, 500 E Street SW, Washington, D.C.
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