Tariff Ruling Is Put On Hold While Trump Administration Appeals

Court pauses decision that invalidated president's sweeping levies

- Jan Wolfe & Alex Leary

A federal appeals court has temporarily put on hold a ruling that voided President Trump's tariffs while it considers the administration's challenge to the lower-court decision.

In a brief order Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said it was pausing Wednesday's decision from the U.S. Court of International Trade until it can hear further legal arguments. The order, known as an administrative stay, didn't rule on the merits of the litigation. Administrative stays are common in emergency appeals.

The Federal Circuit, an intermediate appeals court in Washington, D.C., signaled it was prepared to move swiftly on the case, as the Trump administration had urged it to do. It asked a group of companies that challenged the tariffs to file a brief before June 5 laying out their arguments, and directed the Justice Department to reply by June 9. The order indicates the appeal will be heard by the full court, with 11 active judges participating.

The appeals court's move came as the Trump administration tried to secure a stay on the tariff ruling, which Justice Department lawyers said was "rife with legal error and upends President Trump's efforts to eliminate our exploding trade deficit and reorient the global economy on an equal footing," according to a filing with the Federal Circuit earlier on Thursday.