Trump Alters Global Trade Again After Us Supreme Court Ruling

International trade is set to undergo further adjustment, considering President Donald Trump’s response to the United States Supreme Court’s overturn of his sweeping tariff program.

The U.S. leader has ordered a new 10% global tariff on most imports under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a provision that allows tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days unless Congress extends them.

On April 2, 2025, “Liberation Day,” Trump announced extensive reciprocal tariffs, a proclamation that had ripple effects on companies and consumers, and caused nations to reshape business with America.

On Friday, the Supreme Court declared the President exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by imposing tariffs on imports from trading partners.

The Court stressed that while IEEPA allows a President to “regulate” importation during a national emergency, the powers to levy tariffs reside with Congress, as assigned by the Constitution.

Supporting the majority opinion of the 6–3 conclusion are Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Neil Gorsuch, Elena Kagan, and Chief Justice John Roberts.

The dissent by Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Samuel Alito argues that the statute’s grant of authority to “regulate” imports could cover tariff measures in the context of a national emergency.

Speaking after the judgment, President Trump thanked and praised the trio for their “strength, wisdom, and love for the country,” noting that there is no way anyone can argue with their position.

The U.S. leader, however, called other Justices “unpatriotic and disloyal” to the Constitution. “It is my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign influence and a political movement that is small.”

Trump also accused the three Democrat-appointed Justices of always opposing the government, “just like” the lawmakers in Congress: “They are against anything that makes America strong and great again.”

“Foreign countries that have been reaping us for years are ecstatic, they are so happy, and are dancing in the streets,” the President said. “But they won’t be dancing for long, that I can assure you.”

The federal government is now expected to stop collecting the tariffs imposed under IEEPA and cannot rely on that statute to reimpose them. “We have alternatives, great alternatives,” Trump told the press.

In 2025, the IEEPA tariffs raised $142 billion for the U.S. government, average cost of $1,680 per household. The SCOTUS verdict has triggered debate about refunds, with demands from States and businesses.

The decision is a positive one for importers, the U.S. economy, and the rule of law, according to Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics and trade at the Cato Institute.

Lincicome urged the government to reimburse the tens of billions of dollars in customs duties “illegally collected from American companies pursuant to an IEEPA tariff authority it never actually had.”

The author described the refund process, which would likely require more litigation and paperwork, as an unfair burden for smaller importers that lack the resources to litigate tariff refund claims.

Lincicome predicts “the tariff beatings” will continue until Congress reclaims some of its constitutional authority over U.S. trade policy and “checks the administration’s worst tariff impulses.”

Harold Krent, a professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law, said the judgment “is not only a striking defense of free trade, but squarely rebuffs President Trump’s embrace of a virtually unrestrained Presidency.”

In a post on X, Vice President JD Vance stated that the SCOTUS ruling will only make it harder for the President to protect American industries and supply chain resiliency.

“President Trump has a wide range of other tariff powers,” Vance wrote. “He will use them to defend American workers and advance this administration’s trade priorities.”

Trump alters global trade again after US Supreme Court ruling