Washington: A White House official confirmed on Wednesday that the plan to increase the U.S. global tariff to 15 percent from the current 10 percent is "in process." This announcement aligns with President Donald Trump's statement last month that the tariff hike would be implemented.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Peter Navarro, a senior trade advisor to President Trump, made these comments during an event hosted by Politico. Navarro's remarks suggest that despite concerns regarding the potential inflationary effects of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, the administration remains committed to the tariff increase.

Navarro highlighted the administration's efforts in response to a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated Trump's use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) for country-specific tariffs. The ruling led to the introduction of the 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. Following this, Trump announced plans to raise the tariff to 15 percent.

Navarro emphasized that while the administration lost the IEEPA case, the outcome was favorable because it reinforced the use of other statutes for implementing tariffs. He also noted ongoing efforts to reshape the tariff regime, potentially involving new country-specific tariffs through trade investigations under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act.