What are Part 122, 301 and 232 tariffs Trump is contemplating?

U.S. President Donald Trump alluded to Part 301, 232 and 122 tariffs throughout his press convention on Friday (February 20, 2026) after the U.S. Supreme Court docket stated his use of emergency powers granted by them was unlawfully used to impose sweeping tariffs on imports.

U.S. Supreme Court docket rejects Trump tariffs LIVE

Mr Trump used the IEEP to impose ‘reciprocal tariffs’ on international locations on April 2, 2025. He had imposed IEEP based mostly tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada for failing, he stated, to adequately management the stream of migrants and fentanyl into the U.S. On Friday (February 20, 2026), Mr. Trump stated he would discover “different alternate options” to work across the Supreme Court docket resolution.

“We’ll get again to the identical tariff stage for the international locations. It is going to simply be in a much less direct and barely extra convoluted method,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Friday (February 20, 2026). Right here’s a toilet at what Part 122, 301 and 232 tariffs are:

Part 122

Part 122 of the Commerce Act of 1974 permits the U.S. President to impose tariffs of as much as 15% on a rustic to deal with “a big and critical United States balance-of-payments deficit”. The tariff could also be utilized for no more than 150 days except its period is prolonged by the U.S. Congress. The President can also be required to seek the advice of with Congress relating to the implementation and continuation of this tariff. This part of U.S regulation has by no means been used beforehand. Mr. Trump has stated he’ll provoke a Part 122 course of on Friday (February 20, 2026) to use a worldwide tariff of 10%.

Part 301

Part 301 of the U.S.’s Commerce Act of 1974 permits for tariffs to be imposed after the U.S. Commerce Consultant (USTR) finds {that a} commerce companion of the U.S. has engaged in what it deems as “unfair” commerce practices. These have been initiated prior to now towards quite a few international locations , together with India.

As of this writing, hours following Mr. Trump’s press convention reacting to the Court docket ruling, no 301 probe had been registered towards India. The final 301 probe towards India was in response to New Delhi’s digital providers tax in 2020 by the primary Trump administration.

Nevertheless, in November 2021, underneath the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, the international locations reached a deal on this – following India becoming a member of the Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Improvement’s (OECD) world minimal tax framework. India would part out the digital tax (Equalisation Levy), and first abolished the two % e-commerce levy after which the 6 % digital promoting levy.

Part 232

Tariffs based mostly on Part 232 of the U.S. Commerce Enlargement Act of 1962 are levied on particular sectors — moderately than comprehensively — after the Secretary of Commerce deems them obligatory on nationwide safety grounds. Presidents of the U.S. have typically not acted on the Division of Commerce’s discovering {that a} nationwide safety menace exists.

The Trump administration has deployed 232 tariffs earlier than and at present imposes these on international locations in a number of sectors. As an illustration, India faces 232 tariffs on metal and aluminium, vehicles, copper and derivatives, and so forth. It’s potential for corporations to obtain exceptions, and this has beforehand been offeredas a politically palatable approach for the U.S. to maintain tariffs in place, however in follow to use them in a restricted approach.

Donald trumpSome Indian exports at present affected by 232 tariffs could possibly be impacted (i.e., benefited) by the U.S.-India commerce settlement introduced on February 2. As an illustration, tariffs can be eliminated on sure plane and plane elements that the White Home had introduced. India will obtain a preferential tariff fee quota (TRQ) for automotive elements. India may even doubtlessly be capable of commerce with the U.S. on negotiated outcomes within the generic prescription drugs and elements sector, topic to a 232 investigation.