The Trump administration is consulting an unused 1930s statute as part of a new strategy to reinforce the legal foundation of its tariff regime, according to reports from Axios.
This move comes as the White House seeks to navigate mounting judicial challenges that have cast doubt on the legality of several recent trade measures.
The search for alternative legal grounding follows a recent court ruling that deemed certain tariffs legally questionable.
Despite the judicial setback, the U.S. government has announced plans to continue collecting the duties, marking a significant escalation in the standoff between the executive branch and the judiciary over trade policy authority.
To bolster the legal standing of the tariffs, the administration is reportedly subjecting many countries to investigations under accusations that align with the older statute.
This approach aims to create a more defensible record for the duties, moving beyond the initial justifications that have faced scrutiny in court.