Editorial Board

US Tariffs Are as Dangerous as They Are Illegal

The Supreme Court will eventually have to rule on the sweeping levies currently mired in litigation. In the meantime, settle in for more chaos.

Who?

Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

It’s hard to believe US trade policy could get any more confused and confusing, but somehow it has. Last week’s court ruling deeming many of the tariffs levied by the White House to be illegal has only deepened the uncertainty confronting US companies and trading partners.

What’s clear, however, is that the decision hasn’t deflected the administration from its goal of remaking the global trading system. That’s a job for Congress, which ought to reassert its authority over trade policy.