Most Trump Tariffs Are Not Legal, US Appeals Court Rules

But they are to remain in effect until Oct 14 to allow an appeal to the Supreme Court

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NEW YORK - A divided US appeals court on Aug 29 ruled that most of US President Donald Trump's tariffs are illegal, undercutting the Republican's use of them as a key international economic policy tool.

The court allowed the tariffs to remain in place until Oct 14 to give the Trump administration a chance to file an appeal with the US Supreme Court.

Mr Trump disputed the ruling, saying it was "incorrect", and adding that all tariffs were still in effect.

"ALL TARIFFS ARE STILL IN EFFECT! Today a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end," he said in a post on Truth Social.

The decision comes as a legal fight over the independence of the US Federal Reserve also seems bound for the Supreme Court, setting up an unprecedented legal showdown in 2025 over Mr Trump's entire economic policy.

He has made tariffs a pillar of US foreign policy in his second term, using them to exert political pressure and renegotiate trade deals with countries that export goods to the US. The tariffs have given the Trump administration leverage to extract economic concessions from trading partners but have also increased volatility in financial markets.

Mr Trump lamented the decision by what he called a "highly partisan" court, posting on Truth Social: "If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country." He nonetheless predicted a reversal, saying he expected tariffs to benefit the country "with the help of the Supreme Court".