The global climate crisis demands urgent action to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. In the United States, this transition depends not only on domestic production and investment but also on access to affordable renewable energy products imported from abroad. However, the trade remedies regime in the United States has raised costs on renewable energy products, slowing down the nation’s decarbonization efforts.

This Note explores how trade laws can be leveraged to support climate goals. It argues that the president, constrained by limited statutory authority and legislative gridlock, can invoke emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Section 318 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to reduce or suspend tariffs on green energy imports. By analyzing these legal tools and their historical use, the Note outlines a pragmatic strategy for promoting sustainable development through trade, offering a novel framework for reconciling trade with environmental imperatives.

Continue Reading Empowering Green Energy: Utilizing Presidential Emergency Authorities to Promote the Import of Renewable Energy Equipment