2025-10-30
32 分钟Tariffs or taxes on imports have been a powerful weapon in Donald Trump's trade policy in his second term.
But could they be illegal?
The United States Supreme Court will next week start to hear a case that challenges the president's right to impose those duties without the approval of Congress.
Defeat for Trump could have major ramifications for U.S.
trade policy.
Victory could give the president broad new powers, not just over tariffs.
Which way is the case likely to go?
And what will Trump's options be if he loses?
This is The Economics Show.
I'm Alan Beattie, EFT senior trade writer and author of the trade secrets newsletter.
I'm joined today by Jennifer Hillman,
professor at Georgetown University and a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Perhaps more interestingly, Jennifer is a former general counsel at the U.S.
Trade Representative's office.
She was also a judge on the appellate body of the World Trade Organization.
And perhaps most interestingly for our purposes,
she was also one of our minority who accurately predicted from the beginning that the Trump tariffs were vulnerable to legal challenge.
Jennifer, welcome to the show.
Thank you.
It's a delight to be here.