President Donald Trump has taken his trade battle to the US Supreme Court, asking the justices to reinstate tariff measures that an appeals court recently invalidated.
The challenge follows a narrow 7–4 ruling by the US Court of Appeals, which concluded that Trump exceeded his authority by relying on emergency economic powers to impose broad import taxes. The majority held that the power to set tariffs rests primarily with Congress, not the White House.
Trump’s attorneys filed their petition last week, urging the high court to move quickly as technically his tariff increases are due to be reversed by October 14th. They argued that the president needs the ability to respond decisively with tariffs to safeguard both national and economic security. The split nature of the appeal court decision, they noted, heightens the case’s significance and makes Supreme Court review more likely.
If the current ruling is upheld, the consequences could be far-reaching. Billions of dollars in tariffs already collected may need to be reimbursed, and ongoing trade negotiations with foreign governments could be disrupted. The lawsuits that triggered the case were brought by small businesses and state coalitions, who said the tariffs were harming local economies.
Trump’s disputed executive orders, issued in April, established a 10% baseline tariff and additional duties targeting goods from more than 90 countries. However, existing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports are not covered by this verdict and will remain intact.
Global Freight Services is monitoring developments closely, since The Supreme Court’s eventual decision could carry major implications for global trade.