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The Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to step in fast and decide whether the president can keep using tariffs as a tool under federal emergency law. This comes after an appeals court ruled 7-4 on Wednesday that most of Trump’s tariffs were illegal, even as they allowed them to stay in place for now.
Trump’s legal team says undoing those tariffs would blow up sensitive foreign trade talks and put ongoing deals at risk.
The administration says tariffs have generated $159 billion in revenue since late August, more than double the year before. Supporters argue the duties gave America leverage at the negotiating table and forced other countries to take U.S. trade demands seriously. Even President Biden chose to keep some of those tariffs in place on steel, aluminum, and China, proof they say, that Trump’s approach worked.
If the courts roll back the power of tariff, billions in revenue may have to be refunded and America could lose ground in global negotiations. Now, it’s up to the Supreme Court to decide if Trump’s aggressive trade play stays or gets struck down.