Tariffs trumped

Trump calls US top court ruling a ‘disgrace’, hints at back-up plan

- GREG STOHR

THE US SUPREME COURT struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, undercutting his signature economic policy and delivering his biggest legal defeat since he returned to the White House.

Voting 6-3, the court said Trump exceeded his authority by invoking a federal emergency-powers law to impose his “reciprocal” tariffs across the globe as well as targeted import taxes the administration says address fentanyl trafficking.

The justices didn’t address the extent to which importers are entitled to refunds, leaving it to a lower court to sort out those issues. If fully allowed, refunds could total as much as $170 billion—more than half the total revenue Trump’s tariffs have brought in.

The White House has said it will quickly replace the levies using other legal tools, though the fallback options tend to be either more cumbersome or more limited than the wide-ranging powers Trump asserted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Trump described the SC decision against him as a “disgrace,” and claimed he has a “backup plan", reported Reuters citing sources familiar with the developments. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The judges referred to the tariffs imposed on India for Russian oil purchases in his dissenting opinion.

Trump had imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs on India and an additional 25% punitive tariff for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.