US trade court rules Trump overstepped his authority with global tariffs

Michie · May 28, 2025

A US federal court has ruled that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority by imposing global tariffs, in a major blow to a key part of his economic policies.

The Court of International Trade ruled that an emergency law invoked by the White House does not provide unilateral authority to impose tariffs on nearly every country.

The Manhattan-based court said the US Constitution gives Congress exclusive powers to regulate commerce with other nations and this is not superseded by the president's remit to safeguard the economy.

Within minutes of the ruling the Trump administration lodged an appeal.

The lawsuit, filed by the nonpartisan Liberty Justice Center on behalf of five small businesses that import goods from countries targeted by the duties, was the first major legal challenge to Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" tariffs.

Continued below.

US trade court rules Trump overstepped his authority with global tariffs

The Court of International Trade ruled that an emergency law invoked by the White House does not provide unilateral authority to impose tariffs on nearly every country.

www.bbc.com

rebornfree · May 28, 2025

Good! Trump was acting like a dictator.

JimR-OCDS · May 29, 2025

This will get overturned by the SCOTUS.

Every country the US trades with has had tariffs. The US had none.

Now, the president is acting like an American president instead of an appeaser in order for the world to like him.

trophy33 · May 29, 2025

JimR-OCDS said:
Every country the US trades with has had tariffs. The US had none. Now, the president is acting like an American president instead of an appeaser in order for the world to like him.

I think you misread (or did not read) the article. The issue is not tariffs as such, but that the US president does not have the legal authority to impose them, according to the US federal court. The US Congress does.

JimR-OCDS · May 29, 2025

trophy33 said:
I think you misread (or did not read) the article. The issue is not tariffs as such, but that the US president does not have the legal authority to impose them, according to the US federal court. The US Congress does.

A New York Based Court, which I believe doesn't have power over the executive branch.
As I posted, this will be decided by the SCOTUS as all the other anti-Trump cases
have been overruled on.

trophy33 · May 29, 2025

JimR-OCDS said:
A New York Based Court, which I believe doesn't have power over the executive branch.
As I posted, this will be decided by the SCOTUS as all the other anti-Trump cases
have been overruled on.

But you argued that other countries have also tariffs. I said that the issue are not tariffs as such, but who can actually impose them in the US.

Changing tariffs literally every week according to how well Trump slept does not seem to be legal. The US is not a dictatorship. Or a Trump's company.

JimR-OCDS · May 29, 2025

trophy33 said:
But you argued that other countries have also tariffs. I said that the issue are not tariffs as such, but who can actually impose them in the US.

Changing tariffs literally every week according to how well Trump slept does not seem to be legal. The US is not a dictatorship. Or a Trump's company.

Other countries indeed have had tariffs. Trump is merely floating the ideas as those countries ended
up reaching out to Trump to negotiate. In other words, despite the trade court anti-American order,
the SCOTUS will still have to make the decision.

Yarddog · May 29, 2025

JimR-OCDS said:
This will get overturned by the SCOTUS.

Every country the US trades with has had tariffs. The US had none.

Now, the president is acting like an American president instead of an appeaser in order for the world to like him.

No chance of being overturned. Congress has told him that he doesn't have the authority, unless it's an emergency, which doesn't exist.

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US trade court rules Trump overstepped his authority with global tariffs

Michie

Well-Known Member