05.29.25

Cantwell Convenes Rapid-Response Press Conference on Chaos for Ports, Businesses as Courts Rebuke Trump‘s Ability to Impose Arbitrary Tariffs

Port of Seattle Commissioner: “If we’re not seen as a reliable partner, it doesn’t mean that trade doesn’t continue - it just doesn’t go through our gateway"; Cantwell praises lower courts’ decisions to end Trump’s illegal tariffs

SEATTLE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman and Barry Barr, CEO of local outdoor apparel company KAVU, for a press conference overlooking the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 46 to respond to the chaos caused in the last 24 hours as President Donald Trump scrambles to keep his draconian tariffs in place amid court challenges.

“Two courts have ruled against President Trump's tariffs. They basically have said he's exceeded his authority. For almost 24 hours, [business owners] just like Barry heard that good news and thought maybe we were having a reprieve against these terrible actions that are costing consumers more,” Sen. Cantwell said. “American businesses need a rules-based trade system. That means American families would have the certainty, not chaos and not higher prices. We know this: That when you start trade wars, usually that means you end up closing markets.”

“In business, we need predictability. And it’s just been chaos and uncertainty – and we’re not sure what to do or even where to find the information to lead. Especially in sourcing and manufacturing – the timelines are so long and so far out there, several years, and we just don’t know where to go,” Barr said. “This court verdict is a great sign for American consumers. Hopefully prices won’t increase if we can get back to normal tariffs.”

“These trade relationships are sticky, in that when you move to another market, once you set up these supply chains, they don’t all come back. And so this is a very dangerous period of time,” Commissioner Felleman said. “If we’re not seen as a reliable partner, it doesn’t mean that trade doesn’t continue – it just doesn’t go through our gateway or our country.”

Video of the press conference is available HERE; photos are HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks are HERE.

Last night, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump illegally overstepped his authority when he imposed tariffs on most U.S. trading partners on April 2, as well as the additional tariffs on goods from China, Mexico, and Canada.  The Trump administration appealed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit, which this afternoon put a hold on the ruling while it will consider arguments in the case.

Today, a second federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia also ruled that the President exceeded his authority and issued a preliminary injunction on the collection of the duties, while staying the court’s order for two weeks pending appellate review. The Trump administration also appealed this decision.

In April, Sen. Cantwell introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025 to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy, and reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs. Her bill has since picked up 12 additional cosponsors – an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats – and been endorsed by multiple major U.S. business organizations, including the National Retail Federation, which is the largest retail trade association in the world. House members also introduced a bipartisan companion bill. On April 16, Sen. Cantwell joined nine local business owners and leaders at the Port of Seattle to push back against the Trump administration’s chaotic tariffs-first trade policy.

In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information about how those tariffs will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE.  

For the past four months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies.