Nat Halvorson, a partner in Baker McKenzie's International Trade practice and former Deputy Assistant US Trade Representative, was interviewed for an article in The Hill examining the legal outlook for the US administration’s recently announced tariffs targeting forced labor practices among US trading partners.
In the article, Nat explains that the tariffs are being imposed under Section 301 and are based on a statute specifically designed to address unfair trade practices. He notes that, unlike previous tariffs imposed under emergency authorities, Section 301 contains statutory provisions directing the US Trade Representative to take action in response to certain trade concerns.
Nat also discusses the significance of the administration's approach, noting that while Section 301 has been used by previous administrations, applying it across such a large number of countries is unprecedented. Looking ahead, he observes that higher tariff levels are likely to define the US trade landscape, whether through Section 301 or other tariff mechanisms.
Subscribers can read the full article
here.
