Trade Review Act Puts 60-Day Expiration Date on New Presidential Tariffs

The Trade Review Act of 2025 is essentially a massive change to who gets the final say on import taxes, known as duties or tariffs. Right now, the President has a lot of unilateral power to slap new taxes on imported goods. This bill says: not so fast. It establishes a hard 60-day expiration date on any new or increased duty the President imposes, unless Congress formally approves it.

The 48-Hour Clock and the Sunset Clause

If the President decides to hike the tax on, say, imported steel or consumer electronics, they have to notify Congress within 48 hours. This isn't just a courtesy call; the notification must include the exact reason for the tariff and, critically, an estimate of how it will impact U.S. businesses and consumers. Think of it like this: if you're a small business owner relying on those imported components, this bill means that tariff—and the resulting price increase—is temporary. It automatically disappears after 60 days unless Congress passes a specific "joint resolution of approval" to make it permanent. This puts the power back in the legislature’s hands, forcing them to own the decision to raise prices on goods.

Congressional Veto Power: The Disapproval Resolution

Congress doesn't even have to wait for the 60-day clock to run out. The bill grants Congress the power to immediately stop the new duty by passing a "joint resolution of disapproval." To make sure this check on power actually works, the bill sets up special, expedited procedures for these resolutions. This means they can’t be easily bottled up in committee; they go straight to a vote. For the average person, this is a big deal because tariffs are ultimately taxes paid by importers, which are almost always passed down to consumers. This process makes it harder for a sudden, unexpected tariff to permanently raise the cost of your next car, appliance, or tool set.

Who Benefits and What’s Missing

This is great news for businesses that rely on supply chain stability, as it drastically reduces the risk of long-term, surprise tariffs. It strengthens Congress’s constitutional role in regulating commerce. However, there’s a significant carve-out in Section 2: this new oversight mechanism does not apply to existing antidumping and countervailing duties. These are the tariffs already in place to penalize countries for unfair trade practices. By excluding these, the bill leaves a huge chunk of existing trade penalties—some of which have been in place for years—completely shielded from this new, necessary Congressional review. It’s a bit like fixing the front door lock while leaving the back window wide open, limiting the full scope of oversight.