Donald Trump’s tariffs have the persistence(持久性；顽强) of a hydra. The Supreme Court struck down their main legal foundation in February, anxious markets have forced repeated retreats, and frustrated voters—two-thirds of whom say tariffs have raised consumer prices—have prompted exemptions for certain foods.(最高法院推翻了关税的主要法律基础，焦虑的市场迫使多次让步，沮丧的选民促使某些食品获得豁免。) Each setback forced Mr Trump to adjust tariffs. Yet they always returned.
唐纳德·特朗普的关税像九头蛇一样顽强。最高法院在二月份推翻了其主要法律基础，焦虑的市场迫使多次让步，沮丧的选民——其中三分之二表示关税提高了消费品价格——促使某些食品获得豁免。每一次挫折都迫使特朗普调整关税，但它们总是卷土重来。
Now America’s tariff regime is being revived by a brew of(混合；一系列) old statutes(法规；法令). On July 15th the administration imposed(施加；征收) 25% duties on selected Brazilian goods under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. It cited various offences(违规行为；冒犯), from favouring a home-grown payments system to illegal deforestation. As it happens(碰巧；巧合的是), the action coincides with a broader feud(长期争斗；世仇) with Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
如今，美国的关税制度正通过一系列旧法规的组合得以复活。7月15日，美国政府根据1974年贸易法第301条，对选定的巴西商品征收25%的关税。它列举了多项违规行为，从偏袒本土支付系统到非法砍伐森林。巧合的是，此举恰逢与巴西总统路易斯·伊纳西奥·卢拉·达席尔瓦的更大范围争端。
Five days later Mr Trump invoked(援引；启用) a dormant(休眠的；暂停使用的) provision of 1930’s Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act(1930年美国关税法) to impose 50% levies on a selection of Canadian goods, ostensibly(表面上；貌似) to punish America’s neighbour for discriminating(歧视；区别对待) against its cars, alcohol and dairy products. The duties will cover nearly $20bn of imports, including goods normally exempt under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which Mr Trump negotiated in his first term. However the new tariffs will not take effect until August 19th—a delay that will increase the president’s leverage(杠杆；影响力) in stalled talks(陷入僵局的谈判) over USMCA’s renewal.
五天后，特朗普援引1930年《斯穆特-霍利关税法》中一项休眠条款，对部分加拿大商品征收50%的关税，表面上是为了惩罚这个邻国歧视美国的汽车、酒精和乳制品。这些关税将涵盖近200亿美元的进口商品，包括通常根据《美墨加协定》（USMCA）豁免的商品——该协定是特朗普在第一任期谈判达成的。然而，新关税要到8月19日才生效——这一延迟将增加总统在停滞的USMCA续约谈判中的筹码。
