The Trump administration is starting a new process to try to replace tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday opened a new trade investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries — an effort that comes after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency.

Trump and his team have made clear that they are seeking to replace hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenue after the Supreme Court’s ruling in February by using different laws to set new tariffs.

Read more: Several countries have filed a lawsuit against Trump’s new global tariffs after his loss in the Supreme Court

In this case, the administration initiates investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which could ultimately lead to the imposition of new import taxes. But US Trade Representative Jamison Greer said in a call with reporters on Wednesday that he did not want to prejudge the outcome of the process.

“The policy stays the same — the tools may change depending on the vagaries of the courts and other things,” Greer said, stressing that the goal is to protect American jobs.

Beginning the process of completely replacing Trump’s previous tariffs could invite a return of much of the drama that rocked the global economy last year. The since-repealed tariffs led to new frameworks with US trading partners — and it’s unclear what impact a new set of import taxes could have on those agreements. Greer described the trading frameworks as stand-alone and suggested they were separate from the new investigation.

This new set of tariffs could be implemented against the backdrop of the war in Iran and the midterm elections in which Democrats are competing against Trump’s Republican allies by asserting that the public deserves a tariff refund following the Supreme Court decision.

Greer said the investigation will examine industrial overcapacity and government subsidies that could give foreign companies an unfair advantage over American companies.

Entities under investigation include China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, the autonomous island of Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan and India. The government is looking at what it sees as persistent trade surpluses with the United States and policies such as subsidies and lowering workers’ wages, among other factors.

The department is also conducting an investigation under Section 301 to ban the import of goods made using forced labour.

Greer noted that there may be additional Section 301 investigations into issues such as digital service taxes, pharmaceutical drug pricing and ocean pollution, among other possibilities. The Department of Commerce conducts separate trade investigations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

There are time pressures on the administration to complete its investigations. The administration imposed 10% customs duties on foreign-made goods under Article 122 of the 1974 Trade Law, but these duties expire after 150 days on July 24. Trump said he intends to raise the import tax to 15%, but has not done so yet.

Greer said the administration was “closing” the new investigation based on a 150-day deadline, saying the goal was to present Trump with “potential options” as soon as possible.

Greer said the investigations will be separate from the trade frameworks Trump announced last year that set base tariff rates, which resulted in 15% rates being imposed on goods coming from the European Union, Japan and South Korea, among other places, and which the Supreme Court has since invalidated. However, he noted that frameworks can play a role.

“My feeling is that these countries still want to reach an agreement, and President Trump still wants to reach an agreement,” Greer said, adding that since the tariffs are in place, the commitments countries have made and the implementation of the frameworks will be considered because they “collide” with the requirements of the Section 301 process.

AP Writer Mae Anderson contributed to this report.