US Launches New Trade Practice Probe Following Supreme Court Tariff Ruling

Washington D.C. The United States has initiated a new investigation into the trade practices of its major trading partner countries. This move comes after the US Supreme Court ruled last month that a significant part of the additional tariff policy imposed by President Donald Trump was illegal.

US Trade Representative Jamison Greer announced on Wednesday that an investigation has begun into unfair trade practices under Section 301. This investigation is said to open the possibility of imposing new additional tariffs on countries such as China, the European Union (EU), India, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico.

Other countries falling under the scope of the investigation also include Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland, and Norway. However, Canada, the second-largest trading partner of the US, is not on this investigation list.

The US administration has linked this step to allegations that foreign countries are harming American industries by engaging in excessive production and overcapacity. According to Greer, the US has signaled that it will no longer accept a situation where its industrial base is weakened.

This decision follows the US Supreme Court's ruling in April last year that declared the additional tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on goods imported from many countries as illegal. Following that, Trump announced a new 10 percent global import duty. Later, he indicated that it could be increased up to 15 percent.

Meanwhile, US and Chinese officials are preparing for talks in Paris this week. That meeting is expected to lay the groundwork for a potential summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing later.