The Trump administration is preparing to investigate Switzerland under Section 301 — the same trade enforcement tool used against China. That tells you almost everything you need to know about how Washington has lost the plot on trade policy.
These investigations, launched after the Supreme Court invalidated earlier tariff measures, could serve a legitimate purpose. Done properly, they could help identify countries that genuinely cheat the system. Done poorly, they could damage America’s closest economic relationships and weaken the very economy they are supposed to strengthen.
