WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump prepares to announce reciprocal tariffs on multiple global trading partners Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., introduced legislation that would require his administration to detail his tariffs’ costs.

The Tariff Transparency Act would mandate that the nonpartisan U.S. International Trade Commission investigate the impact of Trump’s tariffs, and the threat of tariffs, on imports from Mexico and Canada.

What You Need To Know

  • Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday to require the Trump administration to detail his tariffs’ costs

  • The Tariff Transparency Act would require the nonpartisan U.S. International Trade Commission to investigate the impact of Trump’s tariffs, and the threat of tariffs, on imports from Mexico and Canada

  • President Donald Trump will announce reciprocal tariffs on multiple global trading partners Wednesday afternoon

  • Alsobrooks' legislation comes about a month after Trump imposed a 25% across-the-board tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, but later exempted goods and services that were compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement he negotiated during his first term through April 2

The legislation comes three weeks after Trump imposed a 25% tariff on aluminum and steel imports from all countries. Last month, Trump also imposed a 25% across-the-board tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, but later exempted goods and services that were compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement he negotiated during his first term through April 2.

“Marylanders are struggling to put food on the table and afford the necessities as it is,” Alsobrooks said in a statement about the legislation that is supported by 16 other Democratic senators. “The last thing we need are tariffs that will raise prices.”

The freshman senator introduced the legislation Wednesday — a date Trump has referred to as “Liberation Day” because he expects new reciprocal tariffs on U.S. global trading partners to increase the country's coffers while returning American manufacturing from other countries.

“The truth is this: The Trump administration knows that the tariffs on allies like Canada and Mexico will raise prices for consumers, spike inflation and harm American small businesses,” Alsobrooks said. “If they disagree, now is their time to prove it.”

During a news conference with Senate Democrats on Wednesday, she called out the president for saying the tariffs will cause a little short-term pain for American consumers but ultimately make the U.S. wealthy. 

“I’m asking myself, ‘Who is liberated?’" Alsobrooks said. "People I represent don’t regard increasing costs as a minor disruption, but it is to billionaires who cannot only afford the increasing cost of goods but will also enjoy a tax cut on the back end of this.”

The tariffs have been floated as a way to finance an extension of the tax cuts Trump enacted during his first term. 

“If it’s a minor disruption, and it’s Liberation Day, we just simply want to know who will be liberated,” Alsobrooks said.