Trump expands tariff war to 60 nations, risking global economic retaliation
President Trump is set to impose sweeping tariffs on 60 trade partners including the EU, using untested legal authorities and escalating a trade war that risks broad economic harm and retaliatory countermeasures.
President Trump's administration announced on July 23, 2026, a plan to impose sweeping tariffs on 60 trading partners, including the European Union, according to a USTR notice. The action leverages Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (targeting Canada), Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (targeting Brazil), and a newly invoked International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) rationale for the expanded list. The tariffs cover a wide range of imports across at least 15 sectors (e.g., steel, aluminum, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and electronics), with no CBO or JCT estimate released for consumer price effects—though external analyses project a median increase of 0.3% to 0.6% in consumer prices if fully passed through. The move threatens to disrupt supply chains, raise prices for U.S. consumers and businesses, and provoke retaliatory tariffs from affected nations, worsening inflation and trade tensions. By bypassing Congress and using untested executive authorities without prior economic impact analysis, the administration risks legal challenges under the nondelegation doctrine and the Trade Act's consultation requirements.
The humanitarian alternative
Congress should assert its constitutional authority over trade by passing the Trade Act Reform Act, requiring economic impact assessments and congressional approval for any across-the-board tariffs affecting over $10 billion in trade. A targeted, multilateral approach through the WTO and bilateral negotiations would address legitimate trade imbalances without triggering a global trade war. This alternative upholds fair competition, supports American workers, and avoids harming consumers and businesses with higher costs.
Falsifiable predictions
What this entry claims will happen, and what data would prove it wrong. The Reckoner revisits these against current reality.
- Retaliatory tariffs from the EU and other major partners will be announced within 30 days of the U.S. action.
- The tariffs will increase consumer prices on affected imports by at least 15% within six months.
Original source — excerpted
news Trump set to impose sweeping tariffs on 60 trade partners"President Donald Trump's administration is set to impose sweeping tariffs on 60 trading partners, including the European Union, according to a notice from U.S. ..."