Trump facing headwinds as midterms loom

The United States’ Supreme Court has ruled that the core of the “Trump tariffs” is illegal.

- Takashi Imamura

The policy of protecting US industry and reviving manufacturing by imposing high tariffs on foreign products had already begun to show its limits, and the administration suffered a complete defeat in the latest court ruling delivered in February.

The tariffs levied by President Donald Trump have pushed up the prices of imported goods, adding to inflationary pressure in the United States. Recently, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released an analysis saying that US consumers and firms bore 90% of the cost.

Since Mr Trump took office again in January 2025, there has been no strong recovery in US manufacturing employment. The flaws in his championed high-tariff policy were evident in both public perception and the data.

Against that backdrop came the latest ruling. Regarding the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which Mr Trump cited as the legal basis for imposing the tariffs, the court made clear that IEEPA does not grant the president the authority to impose tariffs.