US needs to reclaim authority on trade

US automakers are breathing a bit easier after President Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced an agreement to shelve threatened US tariffs on imported autos and retaliatory European tariffs on US goods while the two sides negotiate lower trade barriers. And if the episode eventually produces a true free-trade agreement between Europe and the United States, it will be a win for businesses, workers and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.

But it wouldn’t validate the methods this president has been using to try to change our trading partners’ practices. It’s not just the bullying of US allies and the blatant violations of existing trade deals that are troubling. It’s his unilateral moves to launch, intensify and sustain these trade fights, picking winners and losers in the United States along the way, which betray a dangerously expansive and abusive view of executive power.

It’s worth remembering that the US and the EU were negotiating a free-trade pact before Trump arrived and declared his distaste for multilateral deals. Last week the negotiations seemed to be back on track with the same goals, albeit with far more drama. But trade relations with China and the rest of the world are still in turmoil. At some point soon, Congress needs to wake up and reclaim the authority it gave the White House over tariffs.