Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs

The Supreme Court of the United States struck down tariffs imposed by Donald Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law intended for national emergencies.

In a landmark 6–3 decision authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court upheld a lower court’s finding that Trump’s use of the statute to impose sweeping import taxes exceeded presidential authority.

Court: IEEPA Does Not Authorize Tariffs

At the heart of the case was whether IEEPA’s provision granting the president authority to “regulate ... importation” includes the power to impose tariffs.

“Our task today is to decide only whether the power to ‘regulate ... importation,’ as granted to the president in IEEPA, embraces the power to impose tariffs. It does not,” Roberts wrote in the opinion.

The legal challenge was brought by businesses affected by the tariffs and 12 U.S. states, most governed by Democrats, arguing that Trump’s unilateral action lacked statutory basis.

The three dissenting justices were Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh.

Political and Economic Fallout

The White House had no immediate formal response. However, Trump reportedly described the ruling as a “disgrace” upon learning of the decision.

Democrats and several industry groups welcomed the judgment, calling it a reaffirmation of constitutional limits on executive power.

Tariffs had been central to Trump’s economic and foreign policy agenda, particularly during his second term, where they fueled a global trade confrontation that strained relations with key trading partners, rattled financial markets and contributed to economic uncertainty.