U.S. Federal Court Strikes Down Trump’s Global Tar...

U.S. Federal Court Strikes Down Trump’s Global Tariffs

Zim Now Writer

A U.S. federal court has delivered a major legal blow to former President Donald Trump’s economic policy agenda, ruling that his sweeping global tariffs were unconstitutional and exceeded the authority granted to the executive branch.

In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs, which imposed a flat 10% duty on a broad range of imports, violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The court found that the measures lacked a legitimate national emergency basis and were implemented without proper Congressional approval.

“The President’s authority under IEEPA is not unbounded,” the court stated, emphasizing that the act does not permit the executive to unilaterally regulate international trade in the absence of a clear and declared emergency. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by V.O.S. Selections, Inc. and other importers who argued that the tariffs caused economic harm and represented an overreach of presidential power.

The court’s decision does not affect tariffs previously imposed under other legal frameworks such as those on steel and aluminum introduced on national security grounds but it invalidates the broader tariff regime introduced by Trump during his term.

The Trump administration has filed an appeal, setting the stage for a possible Supreme Court review. In the interim, the court has ordered that the collection of the invalidated tariffs be halted.

The ruling has been welcomed by trade experts and business groups, who have long argued that Trump’s use of emergency powers to reshape trade policy undermined the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches.