U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Marine One as it departs from the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Brendan Smialowski AFP | Getty Images
The Trump administration reportedly plans to announce a new trade investigation as early as Wednesday, with the goal of replacing reciprocal tariffs recently ruled illegal by the Supreme Court.
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the investigation will be conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
The law allows the president to impose tariffs on imports from other countries found to have engaged in unfair trade practices.
Section 301 tariffs could replace reciprocal tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed on most countries around the world last year without Congressional authorization. Neither the Times nor the Journal would say which countries would be targeted by the anticipated Section 301 investigation.
In a 6-3 decision on February 20, the Supreme Court said it did not have the authority to impose such a duty under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which Trump had argued.
Within hours of that decision, President Trump signed an executive order imposing a new 10% “universal tariff” under Section 122 of the Trade Act.
Section 122 tariffs expire within 150 days.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted in an interview with CNBC last week that U.S. tariffs would return to pre-Supreme Court ruling levels by August.
Bessent said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce will complete trade-related investigations that could lead to additional tariffs in the coming months.
“I strongly believe that the tariff rate will return to its original rate within five months. The response from the authorities has been very thorough,” Bessent said.
“They have survived over 4,000 legal challenges. They are moving slower, but they are stronger,” he said.
