Upcoming Cato Institute Virtual Event on "Tariffs, Emergencies, and Presidential Power"

I will be speaking, along with Cato Institute scholar Walter Olson.

On Wednesday, May 27, 12-1 PM, the Cato Institute will hold a virtual event on "Tariffs, Emergencies, and Presidential Power." Registration is free and available here. We will, among other things, discuss the case challenging Donald Trump's massive "Liberation Day" tariffs brought by the Liberty Justice Center and myself on behalf five US businesses harmed by the tariffs. I have gone over the legal issues rasied by Trump's IEEPA tariffs in greater detail in my Lawfare article, "The Constitutional Case Against Trump's Trade War." See also my post on why these tariffs threaten the rule of law.

Here is a description of the upcoming Cato event:

Can the president unilaterally impose tariffs under his emergency powers? In this webinar, legal scholars Ilya Somin, a professor at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University who is co-counsel in the pending tariffs case VOS Selections v. Trump, and Walter Olson explore the constitutional and statutory limits of presidential authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and other statutes. They'll discuss President Trump's recent efforts to justify sweeping trade measures under IEEPA, examine the historical role of Congress in setting tariffs, and consider broader stakes for the separation of powers. Whether you're a lawyer, policymaker, or interested observer, this conversation will shed light on one of the most important trade and constitutional questions of our time.