Courts deal Trump a setback on tariffs

A federal court ruled that Trump misused emergency powers to impose tariffs

Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the US Steel-Irvin Works in Pennsylvania
Trump announced his higher tariffs on metals at a rally at U.S. Steel in Pennsylvania
(Image credit: Jeff Swensen / Getty Images)

What happened

President Trump doubled down on his tariff agenda last week and hiked import taxes on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%, after a court found that many of his "Liberation Day" levies had been imposed illegally. The Court of International Trade—a panel of three federal judges, one a Trump appointee— ruled unanimously that the president had exceeded his authority by claiming emergency powers to tax imports from nearly every country. Hours later, a federal judge in a separate case ruled that Trump lacked the power to impose tariffs "to reorder the global economy." The trade court decision briefly halted Trump's 30% tariffs on China, 25% tariffs on some goods from Mexico and Canada, and blanket 10% tariffs on most imports, but an appellate court stayed the ruling pending an appeal. Trump assailed the judges as "backroom 'hustlers'" and called on the Supreme Court to overrule them. His economic advisers said that even if the justices side with the trade court, Trump had other mechanisms for imposing levies. "Rest assured, tariffs are not going away," said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

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