The Roaring Legal Debate Regarding The Legality of The Trump Administration's Tariffs

Abstract

Many, unaware of the true origin of tariffs, have commonly associated their modern exercise with the Trump administration. Despite this, tariffs can be traced to the Roman Empire’s golden age—preceding the founding of the United States of America by two millennia. Once a widely accepted economic tool, tariffs were initially contrived to promote domestic manufacturing and bolster economic independence. The invocation of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs have left the judicial system facing a significant dilemma—evaluating the legality of the current executive’s economic endeavors. Circumventing congressional sanction, the Trump administration has emplaced tariff and foreign trade policies through the exercise of emergency trade facilities. The astute comprehension of duties’ origin and procedural usage divulge such actions’ profound deviation from the original, intended Constitutional purpose.