A court ruling has concluded that the Trump administration's use of tariffs exceeded the authority granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The court determined that tariffs, implemented under the justification of national emergencies based on trade deficits and other factors, were unauthorized. Notably, plaintiffs—including small businesses and states—challenged the legitimacy of these tariffs, arguing that the IEEPA does not support such measures. Despite past precedence from the Nixon administration, the decision stands as a significant rebuke to the Trump administration's rationale.
The Worldwide and Retaliatory Tariff Orders exceed any authority granted to the President by IEEPA to regulate importation by means of tariffs, the court wrote in its ruling.
Trump argued that the country's longstanding trade deficits amounted to a national emergency, giving him the authority to act without congressional approval.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuits including small businesses and a group of states led by Oregon argued that the IEEPA does not authorize the use of tariffs.
The administration has argued that courts upheld former President Richard Nixon's emergency use of tariffs in 1971.
Collection
[
|
...
]