Washington D.C. – The US Supreme Court has ruled 6–3 that President Donald Trump acted unlawfully when he imposed sweeping global tariffs under emergency powers, marking a major setback for his administration’s trade agenda.
In the majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court held that the president exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Roberts said the law does not clearly grant the president the power to impose tariffs of “unlimited amount, duration, and scope,” stressing that such authority requires explicit approval from Congress.
Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch joined Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices in the majority, while Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh dissented. The ruling represents one of the most significant defeats for Trump at a court that has previously sided with him in several high-profile cases.
The justices did not decide what should happen to the roughly $134 billion already collected through the tariffs, leaving that issue to lower courts. Justice Kavanaugh, in dissent, noted that the process of returning funds could prove complicated and potentially disruptive.
At the centre of the case were Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs and other duties imposed on imports from China, Mexico, Canada and other key trading partners. The administration had argued that IEEPA’s authority to “regulate importation” included the power to levy tariffs, but the court rejected that interpretation, emphasising that Congress must clearly authorise such sweeping economic measures.
The decision underscores the court’s consistent stance in recent years that presidents — whether Republican or Democrat — cannot unilaterally implement major economic policies without clear congressional backing, particularly on issues with broad political and financial consequences.
