As Trump moves to impose new tariffs, Congress is working to remove hundreds

Congress is looking to cut hundreds of tariffs.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Even as President Trump's new steel and aluminum tariffs dominate the headlines, Congress is quietly moving to temporarily reduce or remove tariffs on 1,662 different products, Reuters reports. The miscellaneous tariff bill, as it is known, unanimously passed the House of Representatives in January, and aims to reduce prices for American consumers and companies on everything from chew toys to camera accessories to certain chemicals.

The tariffs reduced or axed in the bill were originally implemented to protect American industries that supporters say no longer exist domestically. "Why in the world would we put a tariff on a product that's not made in the U.S.?" argued lobbyist Ron Sorini. "It's kind of crazy." A small group of critics, though, argue that removing the tariffs could potentially hurt industries that do in fact still exist, but perhaps do not have the means to defend themselves in Washington. A Reuters assessment found that the bill "includes 145 items that are made domestically."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.