US supreme court strikes down Trump’s global tariffs

The United States supreme court has struck down sweeping global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

In a 6–3 decision delivered on Friday, the court affirmed a lower court’s finding that Trump’s reliance on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to introduce the tariffs was unlawful.

The court ruled that Trump overstepped his authority by invoking a law designed for national emergencies to impose broad import taxes without congressional approval.

The ruling marks a significant constitutional rebuke and carries major implications for US trade policy and the global economy.

The judgement was authored by John Roberts, the chief justice, who noted the constitutional limits of executive power in matters of taxation.

Citing prior precedent, Roberts wrote that “the president must ‘point to clear congressional authorization’ to justify his extraordinary assertion of the power to impose tariffs. He cannot”.

Trump had made tariffs a central feature of both his economic strategy and foreign policy posture, particularly during his second term.

The measures formed the backbone of a renewed global trade confrontation, unsettling financial markets, straining relations with key trading partners and contributing to broader economic uncertainty worldwide.