German business associations are also counting on the decision of the Supreme Court in the USA against the President Donald Trump imposed tariffs with ongoing uncertainty in business with its most important export customers. “The decision does not mean the all-clear,” said the President of the Federal Association of Foreign Trade, Wholesale and Services (BGA), Dirk Jandura. The US government still has considerable leeway in trade policy.
In addition, the reversal of customs duties that have already been paid is extremely complex, both legally and administratively. Even after today’s decision, a quick or unbureaucratic refund cannot be expected. Affected companies should rather assume that they will actively assert repayment claims and, if necessary, enforce them in court. Spokespeople for the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) and the mechanical engineering association VDMA also agree with this.
“The decision gives me back my confidence”
“The verdict is clear evidence of the existing separation of powers in the USA,” said Wolfgang Niedermark, member of the executive board of the Federation of German Industries (BDI). At the same time, he warns of continued uncertainty for internationally active companies.
The Federal Association of E-Commerce and Mail Order (bevh) welcomes the lifting of the tariffs. “The decision gives me back confidence that law and order continue to be the benchmark for all decisions in the USA,” says Bevh Managing Director Christoph Wenk-Fischer.
EU wants to continue to push for low tariffs
Managing Director Kerstin Maria Rippel of the Steel Association said that the judge’s ruling expressly did not refer to the 5 percent steel tariffs imposed under the pretext of national security. This makes it all the more urgent that the EU Commission’s proposal for an effective protective instrument in steel foreign trade is implemented quickly.
A spokesman for the VDA auto industry association agreed with this. “The EU should therefore continue to work hard to improve the framework conditions in transatlantic trade,” he told ZEIT. The tariffs affecting the German automotive industry were not the subject of the proceedings before the Supreme Court. The ones that still apply US tariffs continued to represent a noticeable challenge for the German automotive industry.
The European Commission announced that it would continue to advocate for low tariffs. A commission spokesman said the verdict was being examined “carefully” and was in close contact with the US government to find out how it wanted to respond. “Businesses on both sides of the Atlantic rely on stability and predictability in trade relationships. We therefore continue to advocate for low tariffs and work towards reducing them.”
US small business owners hope for quick repayment
Small businesses in the USA are now hoping for quick compensation for their expenses. A procedure for the reimbursement of customs duties paid is necessary, explained the “We Pay the Tariffs” alliance, which has been joined by more than 1,000 small businesses who find the increase in their import costs to be damaging to their business.
“A legal victory is worthless without actual relief for the companies that paid these tariffs,” said the group’s executive director, Dan Anthony. “The government’s only responsible course of action now would be to set up a fast, efficient and automatic refund process that refunds customs money to the companies that paid it.”
Supreme Court ruling
The US Supreme Court previously ruled Most of the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump were declared unlawful. The majority of judges ruled that Trump’s emergency law “does not authorize the president to impose tariffs.”
The decision also affects the 15 percent basic tariff for most goods imported from the EU, but not the sector-specific surcharges on steel and aluminum, for example.
