High court to take up Trump's tariffs

US appeals court has ruled them invalid

- ANN E. MARIMOW

The Trump administration on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to move swiftly to allow the president to continue imposing sprawling tariffs on nations around the world, setting up a major test of his trade policies and his expansion of executive power.

A federal appeals court late last month invalidated President Donald Trump's most punishing global tariffs, finding that he had exceeded his authority by invoking a 1970s-era emergency power to tax imports from major trading partners. The appeals court paused its ruling, allowing the tariffs to remain in effect at least until Oct 14 so Trump could file with the Supreme Court.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the justices to decide by Sept 10 whether to review the case and to schedule oral argument for the first week of November — just one month after the court's new term begins. If the justices accept the case, it would be the first to reach the court in Trump's second term that directly tests the legality of one of the administration's signature initiatives rather than addressing the president's actions on a temporary emergency basis.

Since taking office, Trump has relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 as a central part of his efforts to force companies to invest in the United States.