, Columnist
Congress Has the Power on Trade
The president is in the driver's seat right now. But Congress has a long history of invoking its constitutional authority.
Trade partners.
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First, President Donald Trump killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, now he’s considering a 20-percent tax on Mexican imports in order to fund a border wall. Both announcements have launched torrents of headlines, and reinforced the impression that the president is the judge, jury and executioner when it comes to trade policy.
But that, like much of Trump’s theatrics, is an illusion. This latest proposal for Mexico, which would rely on something called a border-adjustment tax, is part of a larger overhaul of the tax code contemplated by Congress, not the president1485470704420.