By Charles Maduka
The United States Supreme Court has struck down sweeping global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
In a 6–3 ruling delivered on Friday, the apex court upheld a lower court’s decision that Trump’s use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to introduce the tariffs was unlawful.
The court held that the former president exceeded his authority by relying on a law meant for national emergencies to impose broad import taxes without approval from Congress.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the judgment, stressed the constitutional limits of executive powers in matters relating to taxation.
Quoting established legal precedent, Roberts stated that “the president must ‘point to clear congressional authorization’ to justify his extraordinary assertion of the power to impose tariffs. He cannot”.
The decision represents a major constitutional setback and is expected to have far-reaching implications for US trade policy and the global economy.
Tariffs had been a key part of Trump’s economic and foreign policy agenda, especially during his second term, forming the basis of a renewed global trade confrontation that unsettled financial markets and strained ties with major trading partners.
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