ANALISIS PEMBENARAN HUKUM KEBIJAKAN TARIF RESIPROKAL AMERIKA SERIKAT BERDASARKAN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE

Authors

  • Aliffio Danendra

    Universitas Padjadjaran
    Author
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21393383
Keywords:
Legal Justification, Reciprocal Tariffs, GATT WTO, International Trade
Abstract
The United States reciprocal tariff policy implemented through Executive Order 14257 and Executive Order 14326, has generated significant legal concerns within the multilateral trading system by imposing different tariff rates on its trading partners. This study aims to examine the legal justification of the policy under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994, particularly Articles XII, XIX, XX, and XXI. The research employs a normative legal method with a descriptive-analytical approach based on the analysis of primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials. The findings reveal that the United States' reciprocal tariff policy does not satisfy the legal requirements for justification under the GATT, as it is not based on balance-of-payments difficulties, unforeseen import surges causing serious injury, the general exceptions, or the protection of essential security interests. Consequently, the policy remains subject to Articles I and II of the GATT and is potentially inconsistent with the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) principle and the tariff commitments contained in the Schedule of Concessions. Furthermore the continued dysfunction of the WTO Appellate Body has weakened the effectiveness of dispute settlement and the enforcement of international trade rules. These findings highlight the importance of legal certainty, compliance with multilateral trade obligations, and the restoration of an effective WTO dispute settlement system.
References

Buku

Bossche, P. V. den, & Zdouc, W. (2017). The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization: Text, Cases and Materials. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Koul, Autar Krishen. (2018). Guide to the WTO and GATT: Economics, Law and Politics, 6th ed., Singapore/New Delhi: Springer/Satyam Law International.

Matsushita, Mitsuo (et al.). (2015). The World Trade Organization: Law, Practice, and Policy, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Narlikar, Amrita, Daunton, Martin, and Stern, Robert M. (eds.). (2012). The Oxford Handbook on The World Trade Organization, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jurnal

Benoit, C. (2011). “Picking Tariff Winners: Non-Product Related PPMs and DSB Interpretations of Unconditionally within Article I:1”. Georgetown Journal of International Law, 42(2), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/acdi/a.6543

Beshkar, Mostafa, Bond, Eric W., and Rho, Youngwoo. (2015). "Tariff Binding and Overhang: Theory and Evidence", Journal of International Economics, Vol. 97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2015.04.004

Hoekman, Bernard and Mavroidis, Petros C. (2021). “WTO Reform: Back to the Past to Build for the Future”, Global Policy, Vol. 12. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12924

Voon, T. (2019). “The Security Exception in WTO Law: Entering a New Era”. AJIL Unbound, 113, 45–50. https://doi.org/10.1017/aju.2019.3

Z. Hong. (2025). “On the Historical Origin and its Mirror: In Reality of United States Trade Law”. Revue québécoise de droit international, Hors-série, 141–152.

https://doi.org/10.7202/1121450ar

Dokumen Hukum

Executive Office of the President. (2025, April). Regulating Imports With a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices That Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits. Executive Order No. 14257. Federal Register.

Executive Office of the President. (2025, July). Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates. Executive Order No. 14326. Federal Register.

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). (1947, October 30)

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994.

World Trade Organization. (1994). Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), Annex 2 of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization.

Cover Image
Downloads
Published
2026-07-16
Issue
Vol. 16 No. 9 (2026): Causa: Jurnal Hukum dan Kewarganegaraan, ISSN: 3031-0369
Section
Articles

How to Cite

ANALISIS PEMBENARAN HUKUM KEBIJAKAN TARIF RESIPROKAL AMERIKA SERIKAT BERDASARKAN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE . (2026). Causa: Jurnal Hukum Dan Kewarganegaraan, 16(9). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21393383