Negotiating with other countries is traditionally done by the executive branch and tariffs are a significant lever in those negotiations. The President has the

Negotiating with other countries is traditionally done by the executive branch and tariffs are a significant lever in those negotiations. The President has the authority to do that because Congress passed a law that said so. They could pass a different law, if they want to, but what if they like the tariffs? Then all they have to do is lower other taxes as the tariff revenue allows them to do. Also, just because tariffs generate a lot of revenue doesn't mean that's their purpose. Their purpose is to put pressure on specific countries or promote domestic manufacturing. The revenue is just what allows other taxes to be lowered to balance out the impact on US consumers.