Supreme Court Strikes Down Donald Trump’s Tariffs, Saying He Lacked Authority To Do So

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that Donald Trump did not have the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs, a rebuff of the president’s central economic policy.

The court, in a 6-3 opinion, ruled that the president lacked the justification to impose the tariffs during peacetime.

Trump had invoked his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose the tariffs, but the high court ruled that the law did not give him the ability to do so without congressional approval.

“The President asserts the extraordinary power to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlimited amount, duration, and scope. In light of the breadth, history, and constitutional context of that asserted authority, he must identify clear congressional authorization to exercise it.”

“We claim no special competence in matters of economics or foreign affairs. We claim only, as we must, the limited role assigned to us by Article III of the Constitution. Fulfilling that role, we hold that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.”

Read the Supreme Court tariff decision.

Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on overseas movie and TV production, and his authority to do so was in doubt even before Friday’s decision. But like other tariffs, he had cited a national emergency when he originally said that he wanted to impose the levies last May.

More to come.