Trump tariffs hailed a success as White House seeks post-court legal fixes

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 21, 2026 10:38 IST

The Trump administration has described its tariff policy as “wildly successful”, saying it has helped cut the US trade deficit, bring businesses back to the country and raise wages. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the administration had changed 70 years of US trade policy over the past year and was committed to continuing with that approach.

Greer also said the administration was looking at other legal routes to keep its trade agenda in place after the Supreme Court struck down a significant part of its tariff programme. According to The New York Times, the administration was working on measures to recreate those tariffs, including levies planned on countries using forced labour in manufacturing and those with surplus production.

In an interview with The New York Times, Greer said the administration had moved quickly because it saw America’s widening trade deficit as an economic emergency that needed decisive action. Asked whether the tariff regime was delivering results, he said, “They are. Yeah. I think we’ve been wildly successful.” He added, “At the end of the day, we are winning in changing the trade policy. We’re winning in getting the trade deficit down. We’re winning in reshoring. We’re winning in wages. We’re winning on all these things. So I’m happy with where we are and where we’re going.”

Greer said the tariff policy was being driven by economics rather than foreign policy. Responding to a question on whether the policy was hard on traditional allies, he said, “This is not a foreign policy shop. This is an economics shop here. And so when I look at someone like the European Union that blocks American agricultural goods for specious, nonscientific reasons, that’s a problem. Friend or foe, that’s an issue.” He said broad tariffs had helped the US negotiate new trade arrangements with the United Kingdom, the European Union, Indonesia, India and Japan.

On the Supreme Court ruling, Greer said he had no regrets about the administration’s legal strategy. “No, I don’t have any - well, I regret that the Supreme Court went the wrong way. But I mean, that’s their fault. That’s not ours,” he said. He added that the administration was already using alternative legal authorities to preserve its trade agenda and remained focused on changing long-standing US trade policy. “We’re not really about going out and changing the world. We’re trying to change the terms of trade,” he said.

Greer said the administration’s approach was not aimed against any one country but at advancing US economic interests. “It does mean, to the extent we have to take measures in other countries, we will. But it’s less that we’re anti any particular country and more we are just pro-America,” he said. In sum, Greer maintained that the tariff policy had delivered results and said the administration would continue to pursue its trade agenda despite the court setback.

With PTI Inputs

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