Supreme Court rules that Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs are illegal

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled 6–3 that President Donald Trump violated federal law by unilaterally imposing sweeping global tariffs under emergency powers.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and the court’s three liberal justices. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.

The Court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize a president to impose tariffs without clear congressional approval. Roberts wrote that when Congress grants tariff authority, it does so explicitly and with constraints, which were absent in this case.

Trump had relied on IEEPA, a 1970s-era law allowing the president to regulate certain economic transactions during national emergencies. The administration argued that the authority to regulate importation included the power to impose tariffs. The Court rejected that interpretation.

The ruling invalidates Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs and duties imposed on imports from China, Mexico and Canada. Some tariffs reached as high as 145% on Chinese goods and up to 50% on other trading partners.

Since the tariffs were implemented, the federal government collected approximately $134 billion from more than 300,000 importers, according to Customs and Border Protection data. The Court did not decide whether or how that money must be returned. That issue is expected to be resolved in lower courts.

The decision marks one of the most significant Supreme Court rulings on executive economic authority in years. It reinforces the principle that major economic actions require clear congressional authorization, particularly when involving broad and long-term financial consequences.