US Tariffs Are as Dangerous as They Are Illegal: Editorial

It’s hard to believe US trade policy could get any more confused and confusing, but somehow it has. Last week’s court ruling deeming many of the tariffs levied by the White House to be illegal has only deepened the uncertainty confronting US companies and trading partners.

What’s clear, however, is that the decision hasn’t deflected the administration from its goal of remaking the global trading system. That’s a job for Congress, which ought to reassert its authority over trade policy.

The hitherto obscure US Court of International Trade, mainly devoted to litigating customs disputes, found the White House was wrong to ...