Fmr. U.S. Trade Representative Asst. Gen. Counsel Patrick Childress on the Legality of Tariffs

International Trade attorney Patrick Childress was interviewed by CNN Business about the Trump Administration's tariffs, ongoing trade negotiations and a looming court decision regarding the measures' legality. President Donald Trump relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) when imposing wide-ranging tariffs across an array of industries and countries, and that reliance is now the subject of a challenge before a federal appellate court. Mr. Childress, who previously served as assistant general counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), noted that Trump could have used other laws, such as Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 or Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, to justify the measures, but citing IEEPA provided more flexibility and expediency when introducing the tariffs. He also talked about the administration's goals in establishing new trade frameworks, drawing on the analogy of a carrot and stick approach to explain how tariffs are one component of a broader push to bring back domestic manufacturing, lower trade deficits and create jobs.

Click here to read a transcript of the interview.

Duration: 5:22