International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Supreme Court on Sept. 9 agreed to hear two cases on the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and to do so on an expedited basis. The court set a briefing schedule that would conclude by Oct. 30 and set argument for the first week of November (Donald J. Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, U.S. 25-250) (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, U.S. 24-1287).
White House trade official Peter Navarro will need to be sidelined for a trade deal between the U.S. and India to emerge, according to Mark Linscott, a former assistant U.S. trade representative for South and Central Asia. Navarro's comments about India have inflamed the conflict, Linscott said, and have made trade negotiations more difficult.
Nearly 40 minerals -- including gold bullion -- as well as sintered neodymium-iron-boron magnets and LEDs are no longer subject to reciprocal tariffs.
The Treasury Department will refund tariffs imposed through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act if the government loses its case at the Supreme Court, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Bloomberg Television that he would be meeting with Switzerland's vice president later on Sept. 5, but he wasn't hopeful that the country would get a reprieve from 39% tariffs.
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., who has led the charge to terminate the underlying emergencies for the president's tariffs, said he doesn't know if Republicans will change course and allow a vote on his latest resolution, which would end the 40% tariffs on about 39% of Brazilian imports.
President Donald Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on goods from the EU after the bloc fined Google more than $3 billion this week for violating antitrust laws. "We cannot let this happen to brilliant and unprecedented American Ingenuity and, if it does, I will be forced to start a Section 301 proceeding to nullify the unfair penalties being charged to these Taxpaying American Companies," Trump wrote Sept. 5 on Truth Social.
President Donald Trump, before a dinner with tech company CEOs Sept. 4, took a few questions from reporters, including one on planned tariffs on semiconductors and, possibly, goods made with chips.
Plaintiffs in the primary case on the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act told the Supreme Court on Sept. 5 that they consent to the high court's review of the case. Responding to the government's petition for writ of certiorari filed after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled against many of the tariffs, the plaintiffs, consisting of five importers, said Supreme Court review is "essential," and the court's "final word is needed urgently" in light of the harm wrought by the tariffs (Donald J. Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, U.S. 25-250).