Trump’s 10% Global Tariff Faces Fast-Track Court Fight as USTR Launches Wide 301 Investigations

Overview

• The Court of International Trade set an expedited schedule, requiring a government response by April 3 and convening a three-judge panel on April 10 to hear challenges from 24 states and small businesses seeking an injunction.
• President Trump imposed a 10% near-global surcharge under Section 122, citing a balance‑of‑payments problem, and has indicated it could rise to 15% within the statute’s 150‑day limit.
• U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer opened Section 301 probes into structural excess capacity in 16 economies, with public comments due April 15 and hearings beginning May 5, and signaled a separate forced‑labor investigation spanning more than 60 countries.
• The Supreme Court’s February ruling struck down the prior tariff scheme and did not endorse Section 122, despite the president’s claims that the decision validated alternative authorities.
• Senators Tim Kaine and Raphael Warnock introduced the Reclaim Trade Powers Act to repeal Section 122, arguing the provision is outdated and misapplied.