US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump’s Global Tariff Package in Landmark Ruling

The Supreme Court of the United States on Friday invalidated the sweeping global tariff package imposed by Donald Trump, ruling that the former president exceeded his authority by invoking emergency powers to unilaterally levy import duties.

In a 6–3 decision authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court upheld a lower court’s finding that Trump’s reliance on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 did not grant him the authority to impose tariffs.

“Our task today is to determine whether the authority granted to the President in IEEPA to regulate imports includes the power to impose tariffs,” Roberts wrote. “The answer is no.”

The ruling marks a historic rebuke of Trump’s trade strategy, which relied heavily on tariffs as both an economic and geopolitical tool. The measures were central to a renewed global trade confrontation following his return to office, disrupting financial markets, straining key trade partnerships, and fueling broader economic uncertainty.

Trump, speaking during a meeting with state governors at the White House, described the decision as “a disgrace” and signaled he would take action in response to what he characterized as judicial overreach.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, argued that the ruling does not necessarily prevent Trump from reinstating most or all of the tariffs under alternative statutory authorities. He suggested the majority’s opinion may not substantially curtail presidential tariff powers in the long run.

The majority, however, warned that the administration’s interpretation of IEEPA would have led to an impermissible expansion of executive authority over trade policy, effectively sidelining Congress’ longstanding constitutional role in taxation and tariff-setting.

Joining Roberts in the majority were conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, along with liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The liberal justices did not join the portion of the opinion invoking the “major questions doctrine,” which requires explicit congressional authorization for executive actions of vast economic and political significance.

The decision follows lawsuits filed by affected businesses and 12 U.S. states, most led by Democratic governors, challenging what they described as an unprecedented and unlawful use of emergency powers to impose import taxes.