*By Christian Smith* Pressure continues to mount on President Donald Trump to walk back his tariff policy, with Russia becoming the seventh World Trade Organization member to officially challenge the White House's duties on steel and aluminum. And while the organization will take up these cases, Politico trade reporter Megan Cassella said the process will likely take a long time to play out. "The WTO doesn't tend to do anything quickly," Cassella said in an interview on Cheddar Tuesday. Even if the WTO, an intergovernmental agency that overseas international trade, does eventually come to a conclusion, the U.S. could still avoid any repercussions. "Given the Trump administration's sort of disdain for the WTO and its legal rulings, it's also possible that, even if they do eventually come to a conclusion, Trump might just say, 'Well you know, that's it then, that's the end of the U.S. membership in the WTO'," Cassella noted. Russia's appeal filed last week cites "numerous violations of WTO rules by the United States in introducing this measure," said Russian Economic Development Minister Maksim Oreshkin in a [statement](https://www.rt.com/business/431256-russia-tariffs-us-good/). The 25 percent tax on foreign steel and 10 percent tax on foreign aluminum took effect June 1. The Trump administration justified the tariffs using the 1962 Trade Expansion Act, which grants the president the power to restrict imports to protect national security. But not everyone is buying into the White House's rationale. China, India, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, Norway, and now Russia have all filed complaints with the WTO. For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/russia-challenges-trumps-tariffs-in-wto)

Share:
More In Politics
Republican Convention Showcases Rising Stars, Dark Warnings
A rising generation of Republican stars offered an optimistic view of President Donald Trump's leadership but was undermined on the opening night of the GOP's scaled-back convention by speakers issuing dark warnings about the country's future and distorting the president's record, particularly on the coronavirus pandemic.
DeJoy Says Trump Attacks on Mail-In Ballots 'Not Helpful'
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told lawmakers Monday that he has warned allies of President Donald Trump that the president’s repeated attacks on mail-in ballots are “not helpful,” but denied that recent changes at the Postal Service are linked to the November elections.
Postmaster: No Pre-Election Return of Mail Boxes, Equipment
Facing public backlash, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has told a Senate panel that it’s his “sacred duty” to ensure election mail delivery. But he told senators on Friday that he has no plans to restore curbside mail collection boxes or high-speed sorting machines that have been removed.
Load More