Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Tariff Plan, He Responds with New 15% Duty
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- President Donald Trump increases global tariffs to 15% after the Supreme Court overturns his previous trade measures, citing authority under the 1974 Trade Act.
- The Supreme Court ruled Trump overstepped his powers last year; in response, he introduced a new round of tariffs that could impact imports worldwide.
- The 15% tariff plan marks Trump’s latest attempt to steer trade policy amid mounting legal challenges and economic uncertainty.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would raise his newly imposed global tariff rate on all imports from 10 percent to 15 percent. The announcement came just a day after he first introduced the policy and followed a Supreme Court ruling that struck down one of his major economic measures.
Trump made the sudden change through a social media post, adding that in the “next few months,” his administration would also consider introducing additional tariffs that are “legally permitted” under existing trade laws.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Trump’s previous “reciprocal tariffs,” which had targeted nearly all of America’s trading partners. The ruling also nullified duties related to fentanyl imposed on goods imported from China, Canada, and Mexico.
The court ruled that Trump had exceeded his presidential authority when he invoked a 1970s-era emergency law to impose those tariffs last year.
Hours after the ruling, a visibly frustrated Trump held a press conference, vowing to move forward with a new set of tariffs under a different legal framework. The new plan, which would apply globally, was based on a rarely used statute that allows a president to restrict trade during times of significant economic imbalance.
The 10 percent tariff—set to take effect on Tuesday—is grounded in Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. This law authorizes import restrictions, including duties of up to 15 percent, if the United States faces a “large and serious” trade deficit. Such measures, however, can last only 150 days unless Congress approves an extension.
On Saturday, Trump did not say when he intends to raise the rate to the 15 percent limit authorized by the statute.
Before the Supreme Court struck down his earlier tariff program, imports from Japan and several other countries were already subject to higher, country-specific duties compared to the general 10 percent temporary tariff. For nations such as Japan and South Korea, the new 15 percent rate will effectively bring their tariffs back to the levels seen before the court decision.
Indonesianpost.com | Antara
