Analysis: Tariff-happy presidents are not what the Constitution envisioned

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. Trump said the new taxes on those foreign goods, along with a 10% hike in tariffs on products from China, would remain in place “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” What could get more expensive The US imports gas from Canada, and it’s reliant on Mexico for produce. In the 1960s, presidents got power from Congress to impose tariffs for national security reasons, something Trump made use of during his first term when dealing with China, Europe, Canada and Mexico. “And so now we’re in a situation where the president is really sort of the main driver on trade policy, and Congress, even though the Constitution gives it most of the authority, is in the back seat.” If all of this sounds a little familiar, that’s because Trump ultimately lifted tariffs he imposed on steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico in 2019, on the way to finalizing that trade agreement. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to Trump’s tariff threat with a warning about reciprocal tariffs and said “neither threats nor tariffs will solve the issue of migration or drug consumption.”