The U.S. Court of International Trade recently ruled that the Trump administration’s imposition of a 10% global tariff was unlawful, sparking widespread attention regarding the subsequent trajectory of U.S. reciprocal tariff policies. Da-Nien Liu, Director of the Regional Development Study Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), stated that this ruling applies exclusively to the specific companies that filed the lawsuit, rather than comprehensively overturning the existing tariff measures. As the case is likely to enter the appeals process, its immediate impact on the broader foreign tariff policy remains limited.
Director Liu pointed out that under the current law, the 10% global tariff measure can only be maintained for 150 days, with an expected expiration date of July 24, 2026. Any extension would require congressional backing. However, given the dissenting opinions even within the Republican Party, the policy’s future is clouded in uncertainty. Despite facing legal setbacks on certain tariff fronts, the U.S. government continues to leverage Section 301 to launch investigations into trading partners—including Taiwan—over issues such as overcapacity and forced labor. This indicates that Washington is persistently utilizing a diversified toolkit to advance its trade agenda.
Director Liu analyzed that while President Trump’s push for reciprocal tariffs over the past year has heightened global economic and trade uncertainty, its deeper, underlying objective is to reconstruct a U.S.-centric supply chain architecture and attract global capital and industrial investments to American shores. The succession of U.S. investment plans announced in recent years by Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and the European Union reflects that Washington is steadily achieving its strategic goals of supply chain reorganization and capital reshoring.
Even as its tariff policies continue to face legal and political headwinds, the United States has already secured substantive dividends in reshaping the global industrial landscape and redirecting investment flows.
Author: CIER Editorial Team
Date: May 11, 2026