Greer of USTR says US Supreme Court is being cautious on tariff ruling that affects national interest

According to Financial News, Jamieson Greer, head of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), said the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is taking time to rule on the legality of reciprocal tariffs because it recognizes how important the case is.
In an interview with CNBC on the 3rd (local time), Greer was asked why SCOTUS has been slow to decide on the legality of the Trump administration’s country-specific reciprocal tariffs. He replied that it is not a simple case.
He stressed that the Trump administration collected substantial revenue through tariffs, saying, "We built a new trade order on the basis of these tariffs," and added, "There is an enormous amount at stake, and I believe the Court is approaching this case, which is closely tied to major national interests, with great caution and deliberation."
The Trump administration has long argued that if the tariffs are struck down, the United States would have to refund all duties collected so far. It has also claimed that implementation of trade agreements concluded with other countries using tariffs as leverage would become uncertain, causing enormous damage to US national interests.
The tariff case was initially expected to be handled on an expedited basis by SCOTUS, with a ruling possibly coming as early as late last year or January of this year. However, no decision has yet been handed down.
Because legal experts in the United States have generally viewed the legal issues in this case as relatively straightforward, the continued delay has drawn particular attention.
In the same interview, Greer also discussed the trade deal with India that President Donald Trump announced the previous day. He explained that India agreed to cut tariffs on US industrial goods from 13.5% to 0%, while retaining certain protective measures for some agricultural products against imports.
He did not specify exactly when the tariff changes under the new agreement will take effect.
The previous day, the United States announced that India had agreed not to import crude oil that could be used to finance Russia’s war in Ukraine, and in return Washington would lower tariffs from 50% to 18%. India, for its part, said it would purchase US goods, including American energy, worth a total of 500 billion dollars (about 723 trillion won).
jjyoon@fnnews.com Reporter Yoon Jae-joon Reporter