Washington. This Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the Government of the United States exceeded the limits of the emergency powers that President Donald Trump had invoked to impose tariffs on the country’s trading partners, representing a blow to the president’s tariff policy. With a majority of 6-3, the Supreme Court dealt the Republican a setback in his second term, marking a shift in the trend that had been favourable for the president on other matters of his agenda. On behalf of the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts stated that the Government lacks powers in peacetime to establish tariffs under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act of 1977, which was cited by Trump as the basis for his trade war. In its decision, the Supreme Court maintains that Trump’s application of this law would involve a delegation of the tax power that the Constitution assigns to Congress, as the Court considers tariffs to be a form of tax on citizens. The justices who expressed their dissent were Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh, who believe that the president should not be restricted in these matters, as they think the IEEPA can be used in foreign policy issues, which is relevant in this situation.
The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the tariffs imposed by Trump.
