A group of lobby organizations for American business is mounting a new effort to rein in Donald Trump’s powers to unilaterally impose tariffs, amid growing concern about the economic and financial impact of his trade policies, the Financial Times reported. The National Foreign Trade Council — whose board includes a wide range of blue-chip companies from Facebook to FedEx and Ford — announced yesterday that it was spearheading a new coalition to pressure Congress to reassert its constitutional powers on trade policy and make it harder for the White House to move without lawmakers’ consent. The new group — called the Tariff Reform Coalition — was launched with a letter to the top congressional leaders with jurisdiction over trade, demanding lawmakers act to curb presidential powers on trade. “The longstanding balance between Congress and the Executive Branch in managing US trade policy is crucial to our economic well-being . . . It is therefore critical to reassert that balance and ensure that it works effectively to maintain America’s much needed leadership in the 21st century global economy,” the letter said.
