Bill Giving Trump New Powers on Tariffs to Be Introduced Thursday

President Donald Trump needs "the tools to make sure we're not robbed any more," said Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., so he told host Lou Dobbs on the Fox Business Network that he'll introduce The Reciprocal Trade Act on Jan. 17. Duffy said the way international trade works now is "absolutely unfair," and the president needs more leeway to raise U.S. tariffs to foreign levels. He gave the example of the 10 percent tariff in Europe on imported cars and a 68 percent tariff there on butter. He said the U.S. has a 3.8 percent tariff on butter. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has already said that such a bill is dead on arrival in his chamber (see 1901090041). "We ain't going to give him any greater authority," he said a week ago. "We've already delegated too much." Duffy complained to Dobbs that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is trying "to sandbag this movement."