US seeks public comment on tariffs

Why it matters

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday, May 26, that the Trump administration will seek public comment on which Chinese goods should qualify for lower tariffs. Greer said Washington and Beijing had agreed to a joint “Board of Trade” to identify an initial tranche of about $30 billion in non-strategic goods on which the two countries could lower or eliminate duties. The plan would put a formal notice-and-comment process around tariff relief rather than leaving exemptions solely to ad hoc executive action. Greer said a public notice would be issued soon. ### Which goods are under discussion? Greer said the first pool under review would cover about $30 billion of “non-strategic” goods. Reuters reported that Washington and Beijing agreed the new bilateral mechanism would initially determine which goods in that category could receive lower tariffs or full removal. The reporting did not list product lines, and Greer said the administration would use the public comment process to help identify them. (money.usnews.com) The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has used exclusion processes before in its Section 301 case on China. In November 2025, USTR said it extended 178 exclusions tied to the China technology-transfer investigation through November 10, 2026. That gives the administration an existing procedural model for product-specific relief even as it considers a broader new consultation tied to the latest U.S.-China talks. (money.usnews.com) ### Why is the administration asking for comments now? May 26 was the first time Greer publicly tied the next tariff-cut process to outside input after the two governments agreed to create the “Board of Trade.” Reuters reported that the consultation would follow an understanding between Washington and Beijing to identify goods on which duties might be lowered or removed. By asking companies and other parties to weigh in, the administration can build a record on which imports matter most to U.S. buyers and producers. (ustr.gov) That last point is an inference from the structure of the process, not a stated administration rationale. South China Morning Post, citing Greer, reported that the administration had “come to terms” with the fact that China would not fundamentally change its political-economic model. That remark suggests the talks are focused on narrower product-level adjustments rather than a wholesale rewrite of the bilateral economic relationship. (money.usnews.com) ### What changed after the Supreme Court ruling? The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026, that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose the tariffs challenged in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, Inc. A Congressional Research Service summary said the court held IEEPA did not give the president authority for those tariffs, and SCOTUSblog reported the ruling was 6-3. (scmp.com) Yale School of Management’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian wrote on May 27 that the ruling gave Trump a way to pull back from a damaging trade war while presenting the move as a more effective negotiating strategy. Their argument was that the court’s decision narrowed his unilateral room to act while also giving him political cover to shift course. That is Yale’s interpretation, not a statement from the administration. (congress.gov) ### Does this replace tariffs or just carve out exceptions? The current plan described by Greer does not amount to a wholesale rollback of U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. Reuters reported that the administration and China would start with a limited list of about $30 billion in non-strategic goods, implying a narrower carve-out process rather than a full dismantling of the tariff structure. (insights.som.yale.edu) The legal backdrop also matters. Council on Foreign Relations said the Supreme Court ruling was significant but narrow, leaving many existing tariffs in place while opening new disputes over other tariff authorities and trade stability. That means the administration still has multiple tariff tools, even as the IEEPA route was curtailed. (money.usnews.com) ### What happens next, and where will the next signal appear? A formal public notice from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is the next concrete step. Greer said on May 26 that the notice would be issued soon, and that filing should show which Chinese goods are under consideration, who can comment, and how long the consultation will run. Any first list from the U.S.-China “Board of Trade” would then indicate whether the initial $30 billion target is being translated into actual tariff relief. (cfr.org) (money.usnews.com)

Key numbers

• Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on May 26 the Trump administration will seek public comment on Chinese goods that could qualify for lower tariffs.
• Greer said Washington and Beijing agreed a joint “Board of Trade” would initially identify about $30 billion of non-strategic goods for cuts.
• A public notice is expected soon from USTR, after Greer’s May 26 remarks in Washington.
• Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday, May 26, that the Trump administration will seek public comment on which Chinese goods should qualify for lower tariffs.

What happens next

• Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday, May 26, that the Trump administration will seek public comment on which Chinese goods should qualify for lower tariffs.
• Greer said Washington and Beijing had agreed to a joint “Board of Trade” to identify an initial tranche of about $30 billion in non-strategic goods on which the two countries could lower or eliminate duties.
• The plan would put a formal notice-and-comment process around tariff relief rather than leaving exemptions solely to ad hoc executive action.

Sources

• money.usnews.com
• ustr.gov
• scmp.com
• congress.gov
• insights.som.yale.edu
• cfr.org

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