The US Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, ruling that the Constitution grants Congress, not the executive branch, the authority to impose import taxes.
In a 6–3 verdict, the court invalidated tariffs introduced under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a statute that allows the president to regulate imports during national emergencies. Trump had invoked the 1977 law to justify “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly every other country, calling trade deficits a national emergency and framing the duties as central to his economic doctrine.
Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said the Constitution “very clearly” vests the taxing power in Congress. “The Framers did not vest any part of the taxing power in the Executive Branch,” he wrote, rejecting the administration’s argument that the emergency statute authorised sweeping import taxes.
The majority also leaned on the “major questions doctrine”, holding that significant economic measures require explicit congressional authorisation. Roberts noted that no previous president had used IEEPA to impose tariffs, despite decades of its application for sanctions and trade restrictions.
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Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented. Kavanaugh argued that the tariffs were lawful under the statute’s text and historical practice, even if their wisdom could be debated.
The Treasury had collected more than $133 billion under the emergency tariffs as of December, with estimates projecting a $3 trillion impact over the next decade. The court did not clarify whether importers would be entitled to refunds, though multiple legal challenges seeking repayment are pending in lower courts.
Trump reportedly termed the ruling “a disgrace” during a meeting with governors. The White House did not immediately issue an official response.
While the judgment curtails the use of emergency powers for broad tariff action, it does not prevent the administration from imposing duties under other trade laws, which carry stricter procedural requirements.
The decision marks a significant judicial check on executive authority and represents the first major legal setback to Trump’s economic agenda during his current term.
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