A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that most of former President Donald Trump’s tariffs exceeded his presidential emergency powers. The “reciprocal tariffs” applied to nearly every U.S. trading partner were imposed illegally, the Court of Appeals said on Friday. The ruling upholds a May decision by the Court of International Trade, which also found that Trump’s use of emergency authority to justify the tariffs was unlawful.
The tariffs in question largely stem from Trump’s April announcement of a blanket 10% duty on all imports, which he argued was necessary to counter what he described as “unfair” trade practices. While the court did not immediately strike down the tariffs, it ordered that they remain in effect until mid-October, allowing time for a likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a 7–4 decision, the appellate judges concluded that Trump lacked authority to impose such sweeping trade measures under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). They ruled that the law does not grant a president “the power to impose tariffs, duties, or similar taxes. Trump swiftly criticised the decision, calling the appellate court “highly partisan” and the decision a “disaster” for the nation on Truth Social in the hours following its arrival.
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