Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings

A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs has rendered the future of US trade policy increasingly uncertain

President Donald Trump
Trump has 'other laws he can use to impose tariffs, though most are more limited than his emergency claims'
(Image credit: Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post via Getty Images)

What happened

A federal appeals court Thursday paused a special trade court's nullification of President Donald Trump's signature tariffs, restoring his 10% taxes on all imported goods and higher tariffs on specific countries while the judges consider the merits of Trump's appeal. Adding to the uncertainty over Trump's trade war, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras Thursday blocked those same tariffs for two plaintiffs, calling them "unlawful."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.