US Trade Representative: "If Supreme Court Loss, Alternative Tariffs to Begin Immediately Next Day"

Greer: "We Already Have Various Options"

Jamison Greer, United States Trade Representative (USTR), stated that if the Supreme Court invalidates President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs and related measures, the administration will immediately move to implement "alternative tariffs."

Jamison Greer, United States Trade Representative (USTR). Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on January 19 (local time), Greer said in an interview with the outlet on January 15 that if the Supreme Court issues an unfavorable ruling regarding tariffs, the administration would "begin restoring the tariffs as soon as the very next day."

Greer indicated that he and other aides had presented President Trump with "many different options" to achieve trade-related goals at the start of a potential second Trump administration, suggesting that even if reciprocal tariffs are invalidated by the Supreme Court, the administration is prepared to impose alternative tariffs based on other legal grounds.

Greer also said he expects the Supreme Court to rule in favor of the government in the ongoing tariff-related case, adding, "President Trump will continue to use tariffs as a key tool of trade policy going forward."

Last year, President Trump, citing the accumulation of the U.S. trade deficit, declared a state of emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and imposed reciprocal tariffs (country-specific tariffs) on trading partners, arguing that tariffs were necessary. Lawsuits challenging this were filed, and both the district and appellate courts ruled that using the IEEPA as the basis for imposing reciprocal tariffs was unlawful. The Supreme Court has since been reviewing the case following the Trump administration's appeal.

As the Supreme Court, in line with its usual practice, has not disclosed the details of the case but has set the next ruling date for January 20, there is speculation that a final decision on the reciprocal tariffs could come as early as January 20.