(Zero Hedge)—Trump’s tariffs have injected a large measure of chaos into the markets – so much so that JPMorgan sees only four potential off-ramps to right the ship;
(i) Series of Trade Deals – the key being that one or more need to be completed across the G8 with a China deal being the most impactful
(ii) Another Trump Pivot – this could look like a delay/reduction for China to the 10%, perhaps with Trump’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment
(iii) A Legal Injunction – about 2 weeks ago a Charles Koch-backed legal group initiated a lawsuit against Trump challenging Presidential authority over tariffs (BBG)
(iv) Congress Passes a Veto-Proof Law – we have seen two initiative with Republicans crossing the aisle to join Democrats in attempting to halt the trade war but, as of now, the 2/3 necessary in both parts of Congress has not been attained.
While (i) is allegedly in the works, and (ii) could happen depending on which way the wind is blowing at Mar-a-Lago, we’ve now we’ve got (iii) in the works – as five companies have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to tariff nearly every country in the world – arguing that Trump has overstepped his authority.
As Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times notes on April 2, Trump announced that he would impose 10 percent baseline tariffs on nearly every country and higher rates for nations with which the United States is at a significant trade deficit. A week later, the president paused the reciprocal tariffs for dozens of countries, but not for China, for which he raised the tariff rate to 145 percent.
The libertarian-aligned Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of five companies in the U.S. Court of International Trade, alleging that a statute that Trump invoked “does not authorize the President to unilaterally issue across-the-board worldwide tariffs.”
“His claimed emergency is a figment of his own imagination: trade deficits, which have persisted for decades without causing economic harm, are not an emergency. Nor do these trade deficits constitute an ‘unusual and extraordinary threat,’” the group’s lawyers said.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of alcohol company Vos Selections, sportfishing e-commerce business FishUSA, toy manufacturer MicroKits, pipe manufacturer Genova Pipe, and cycling apparel brand Terry Precision Cycling.
Liberty Justice Center’s senior counsel, Jeffrey Schwab, said in a statement that the president lacks the “power to impose taxes that have such vast global economic consequences.” The plaintiffs argue that only Congress, not the executive branch, can set tax rates.
Trump said in an April 2 executive order that the initial swath of tariffs is needed to bolster national security with regard to supply chains and because U.S. trading partners have engaged in “economic policies that suppress domestic wages and consumption, as indicated by large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits.”
Trump’s announcements have caused fluctuations in the stock market this month, with indexes dropping before the partial tariff pause. On April 14, the three major stock indexes saw increases. By 3:30 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by more than 400 points, while the Nasdaq increased about 1 percentage point.
On April 13, Trump said that he would be announcing tariffs on imported semiconductors over the next week, adding that there would be flexibility with some companies in the sector.
“We wanted to uncomplicate it from a lot of other companies, because we want to make our chips and semiconductors and other things in our country,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled back to Washington from his estate in West Palm Beach.
Trump declined to say whether some products, such as smartphones, might still end up being exempted.
“You have to show a certain flexibility. Nobody should be so rigid,” he said.
Earlier on April 13, Trump wrote in a post on social media platform Truth Social, “We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations.
“What has been exposed is that we need to make products in the United States, and that we will not be held hostage by other Countries, especially hostile trading Nations like China.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told ABC News on April 13 that Trump will set up a “special focus-type of tariff” on smartphones, computers, and other electronics within several weeks alongside tariffs for semiconductors and pharmaceutical drugs.
The Trump administration has not responded to the group’s lawsuit in court. The Epoch Times contacted the White House for comment on April 14.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Terror-filled Greasy Gavin Newsome wants to cave in to the Chinese. This guy – or whatever he is – is a total pansy without an ounce of sense. But if China’s president demands oral sex as part of the negotiations, we’ll send Greasy Gavin over to do the job.