"The Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump's sweeping "emergency" tariffs on Friday, ruling 6-3 that they far exceed what federal law allows. With its decision in Learning Resources v. Trump, the court wiped out Trump's signature economic agenda, a withering rebuke to a president who has insisted that these tariffs are foundational to the success of his second term."
"In truth, Trump's tariffs were always on shaky legal ground, no matter how confidently the White House insisted they were permissible. The president claimed the freedom to impose tariffs on any nation, of any amount, for as long as he wished, based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. But IEEPA does not mention tariffs, duties, taxes, or anything else that would hint at Congress' desire to delegate tariff authority to the executive branch. Instead, it allows the president to "regulate" foreign "importation" to "deal with" an "unusual and extraordinary threat" abroad. Trump's Justice Department insisted that he could "regulate" "importation" by slapping any tariff on any country he wanted."
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Learning Resources v. Trump that President Trump's emergency tariffs exceeded federal statutory authority and thus are invalid. Chief Justice John Roberts emphasized that allowing unilateral presidential imposition of taxes or duties without clear congressional authorization would threaten the nation's existence and prosperity. The decision nullifies a central element of the president's economic agenda and signals limits on executive expansion even under a conservative majority. The ruling analyzed the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and concluded that IEEPA does not authorize the blanket use of tariffs, duties, or taxes by the executive branch.
Read at Slate Magazine
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