United States Supreme Court has nullified the sweeping global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, ruling that he lacked the constitutional authority to introduce the measures under emergency powers law.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a 6–3 decision delivered on Friday, the court upheld earlier lower-court rulings which held that Trump overstepped his powers by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad import duties on goods from nearly all US trading partners.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the majority opinion, ruled that Congress — not the president — holds the exclusive authority to impose tariffs, describing Trump’s action as an unconstitutional expansion of executive power.
The tariffs, introduced in 2025 and branded by Trump as part of his “Liberation Day” trade agenda, imposed a baseline 10 percent duty on most imports, alongside higher levies on countries including China, Canada, Mexico, and members of the European Union.
The court said the emergency law used by Trump does not grant powers to levy import taxes, warning that allowing such authority would undermine constitutional checks and balances.
Reacting to the ruling, Trump criticised the court’s decision and announced plans to introduce a temporary 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows short-term tariffs in response to balance-of-payment challenges. The White House said the new tariff would remain in place for 150 days while fresh trade investigations are conducted.
The judgment is expected to have significant implications for global trade, with economists warning of uncertainty in markets and potential legal battles over billions of dollars already collected in tariff revenues.
Business groups and several US states that challenged the tariffs welcomed the ruling, describing it as a major victory for constitutional governance and economic stability.
