US Supreme Court Rules That Trump Exceeded Authority in Imposing Sweeping Global Tariffs Under Emergency Powers
The US Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, ruling in a 6–3 decision that he exceeded his legal authority by invoking emergency powers to impose broad import levies without clear congressional approval.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not grant the president unlimited authority to set tariffs, delivering a major setback to Trump’s second-term trade and foreign policy agenda.
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“In light of the breadth, history, and constitutional context of that asserted authority, he must identify clear congressional authorization to exercise it.” The court concluded that the emergency authority relied upon by the administration “falls short,” adding that “The United States, after all, is not at war with every nation in the world.”
The ruling centers on Trump’s use of IEEPA, a 1977 law that allows a president to “regulate” trade in response to a declared national emergency. Trump first invoked the law in February 2025 to impose tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada, citing drug trafficking as a national emergency.
In April 2025, he again invoked IEEPA to introduce sweeping levies ranging from 10% to 50% on imports from nearly every country, arguing that the US trade deficit posed an “extraordinary and unusual threat.”
The Supreme Court held that IEEPA does not authorize the imposition of tariffs. Roberts wrote that when Congress intends to delegate tariff-setting authority, it does so clearly and with defined limits. “When Congress grants the power to impose tariffs, it does so clearly and with careful constraints,” he wrote. “It did neither here.”
The majority emphasized that the Constitution assigns Congress the power to “lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises,” and that the administration had not demonstrated explicit authorization for the sweeping tariff measures.
The decision marks the first major element of Trump’s second-term policy programme to be reviewed by the top court, which he reshaped during his first presidency with three conservative appointments.
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh dissented. The ruling affirms earlier lower court findings that the tariffs imposed under IEEPA were unlawful.
However, the judgment does not affect sector-specific tariffs on steel, aluminium, lumber and automobiles introduced under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 on national security grounds. Those measures remain in place.
Reacting to the ruling, Trump described the majority decision as “a disgrace,” according to two people familiar with his remarks, speaking to US media outlets. He was reportedly notified of the decision during a morning meeting with nearly two dozen governors from both parties. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for public comment.
The case emerged from lawsuits filed by companies affected by the tariffs and by 12 US states, most led by Democratic governors, challenging the administration’s use of IEEPA to impose global import taxes unilaterally.
A federal trade court in May had concluded that Trump exceeded his legal authority and blocked most of the levies, a decision that was temporarily suspended pending appeal.
Trump had previously warned on Truth Social that an adverse ruling could cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars in repayments, potentially rising into the trillions if compensation claims and investment-related costs were included. He argued that a ruling against the tariffs would undermine a national security-driven trade policy.
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