Reuters reports that the United States Court of International Trade ruled on Wednesday that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority with sweeping reciprocal tariffs imposed on other nations. According to the court’s decision, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a law meant to address “unusual and extraordinary” threats during a national emergency, does not give the executive branch the power to impose tariffs without congressional action.
“The court does not pass upon the wisdom or likely effectiveness of the President’s use of tariffs as leverage,” a three-judge panel said in the decision to issue a permanent injunction on the blanket tariff orders issued by Donald Trump since January. “That use is impermissible not because it is unwise or ineffective, but because [federal law] does not allow it.”
This ruling includes both the “Liberation Day” tariffs imposed in April and tariffs imposed on Mexico and Canada. The tariffs on Mexico and Canada were intended to motivate the countries to slow the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants into the U.S., and the “Liberation Day” tariffs cite America’s trade deficits as a national emergency that justifies them.
A White House spokesperson on Wednesday said U.S. trade deficits with other countries constituted “a national emergency that has decimated American communities, left our workers behind, and weakened our defense industrial base – facts that the court did not dispute…It is not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency,”
While reciprocal tariffs on specific countries are on hold, industry-specific tariffs, such as those on automobiles and aluminum, are still in place. For now, the 25 percent tariff on cars imported to the United States remains in effect.
“This ruling represents a setback for the administration’s tariff plans and increases uncertainty but might not change the final outcome for most major U.S. trading partners,” Goldman Sachs analyst Alec Phillips wrote in a note, suggesting that the administration could use more sector-specific tariffs to target certain countries.
The Trump administration is already in the process of appealing the decision by the New York-based Court of International Trade. From here, it can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. Ultimately, the case could go as high as the U.S. Supreme Court to make the final call.
Comments
More rogue courts.
“…Several statutes authorizing the President or an executive agency to impose tariffs under various circumstances are currently in effect. This report includes a legal overview of six such statutes: Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962; Sections 122, 201, and 301 of the Trade Act of 1974; Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930; and the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act of 1977. These laws afford varying degrees of discretion to the President. For example, some of these statutes require an executive agency to conduct an investigation and make certain findings as a prerequisite to raising tariffs. The report notes how the current and recent presidential administrations have used some of these authorities to raise tariffs on
imports of steel and aluminum as well as imports from the People’s Republic of China, and it explains how courts have decided certain challenges to these actions…”
Thank goodness for “rogue courts”! Trump’s brain is mush and he’s surrounded by incompetent people, so someone had to step in and protect the economy.
Just curious, surely you said Biden’s brain was mush also right?
For sure. But he wasn’t so angry, could sort of ride a bicycle, and didn’t need diapers, so I feel like it was a more respectable brain mush.
Yeah, it’s time we start impeaching judges.
If speaker Johnson and his band of do nothings want to do something, legislate the end of “trade courts” and federal district judges. In spite of some dems on this site saying trump is incompetent, he obviously isn’t. If you are old like me, you would know that America had good paying jobs in the auto industry and really in every industry. All gone over 40 or 50 years to China, India, Vietnam. You name it. So I say bring on the tariffs. Eventually the jobs will return. End the race to the bottom.
The Trump regime liked to use the terminology “reciprocal tariffs” when in fact these tariffs were not reciprocal in terms of international trade.
Trump is doing this to protect his campaign sponsors, since they gave him millions, including Musk, and now they want billions in return.
???? He got what? 30 million??? Over half from small donations???? Komrad komala got 2 Billion with a B, lots from Hollywood and dark money act blue, and still ended up in dept. How is he corrupt? Yes, he’s protecting his donors, you know, the blue collar worker who donated? But I don’t think us the average Joe will get billions.
Lots of downvotes for actually pertinent comments. And no counter arguments.
These people still do not accept the idea that the courts are voting to uphold the law.
US Congress can modify or create better laws, but until they start doing the job they have been elected to do, the courts have to uphold the existing laws.
That’s because they still hate dissenting viewpoints, but finally having to accept how inept and corrupt Trump is. Other than some success on deporting people, his second term is completely off the rails 120 days in and he’s only concerned with enriching himself like getting a free 13-year old jet from terrorists backers. Other than right wing propaganda, I don’t think anyone is making counter arguments on Trump’s behalf anymore.
Counter argument. This court is overstepping their bounds while claiming the President is overstepping his. As it stands, they actually have no legal standing, nor have most of these “universal injunctions” which is a very important part of the American legal system. So many cases get thrown out of the courts for standing issues regardless of their merits. This court has neither nerit nor standing…. Other than being a pawn of the c0mmies. I’d say the administration should just do what the Brandon/0bama administration did time and time again. Ignore these goons.
Courts have final say on interpretation of laws or their constitutionality. Not the executive branch or the legislative branch…separation of powers. Without that enforcement independence, the rights in the Constitution would be subject to the political whims and opinion…”We/I decide what rights you have” because no court can say or do something that we don’t like or agree with:.
But they have 0 enforcement. They can declare the administration out of step, (this court can’t as it has no jurisdiction on tarrifs policy) and then recommend changes and ask Congress to use their teeth, but the underlying constitutional issue, and what the US supreme court likely will judge if the apealate court doesn’t just outright rule it this way and the supreme court verify that decision, is Congress has abdicated this power through multiple bills to the administration, end of story.
The Russian and Chinese trolls are really active today.
Is this the best you could come up with?
Troll
Newsflash as of 5 minutes ago.
Appeals court told these rogue judges to pound sand
$uck it C0mmies!!!!!
@Steve 29 I am pretty sure you are one of the survivors of the McCarthy era when he was labeling his political opponents as communists. World has evolved since then.
You are still living the Red Scare in modern times.
…and you with your modern Red Hat Scare?
Yeah, cause Chin@ belt and road. You never heard of that? That the service ports of both ends of the panama canal were until this year owned by a Chin ess conglomerate? That Xi as on multiple occasions declared they will invade the Republic of Chin@? That they’re are making the fenten@l precursors that have ki11ed more Americans with overdoses than we lost in Vietnam 8-10x over??? Do you deny this? If you do, then your living under a rock. Knock, knock, 1935 Germany normalcy bias at the door!
And FYI, about the Mcarthy era, C0mmunist chin@’s large funding of our universities has largely erased those actually busted during that era, and focuses solely on Mcarthys 205 state department members of whom names we’re not given and neglects the 500 federal employees who were let go due to Ru$$ia ties, or the Hollywood 10, of whom 3 were found guilty of espionage and 2 were executed. Mcarthy just gets the headlines because that way the threat can be drummed up as a hoax while Xi unveils the J35 jet, which “totally isn’t a replica of the F35”
The comments prove that so many people forgot what they learned in school.
Our founding fathers put separation of power, checks & balances, and separate but equal co-branches into the foundation of this country for a reason.
Yes….. And unelected low rank judges don’t override whole branches on a whim. Only the supreme court has that power, and even then, their power in the constitution has no teeth, but does give guidance to the legislative branch to reign in the administrative branch.
Well it is back on again.
Steve 29 what is your legal background.
U.S. Citizen is all the background he needs. We all have a “legal” background under 1A. It’s only fascist that want to shame and silence voices.
The Supreme court is enabling this lawlessness. They will either reign in the district courts, or we the citizens will do it for them, and they will not like it.
If being a citizen is all the background he needs that explains why we have an idiot for president.