US federal court blocks global tariffs in blow to Trump’s authority

The US Court of International Trade has ruled the Trump administration's attempts to impose global tariffs are illegal.

In a ruling filed yesterday (28 May), the federal court concluded that tariffs imposed by President Trump using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) "exceed any authority granted to the President".

In a follow-up statement, the court added that the tariffs are therefore "invalid and cannot be implemented".

New York State attorney general Laetitia James was part of the coalition of 11 other attorneys who sued the Trump administration over imposing the worldwide tariffs.

James said in the statement: "The law is clear: no president has the power to single-handedly raise taxes whenever they like. These tariffs are a massive tax hike on working families and American businesses that would have led to more inflation, economic damage to businesses of all sizes, and job losses across the country if allowed to continue.

"This decision is a major victory for our efforts to uphold the law and protect New Yorkers from illegal policies that threaten American jobs and economy.”

Judges ruled that the law does not authorise any of the tariffs imposed through the IEEPA, and the administration's attempt to do so was "invalid as contrary to law".

These include the tariffs on China, Canada, Mexico and Europe, which range from 10%-30%.

Tariffs implemented on cars, steel and aluminum, however, were not included in the ruling, as these fall under a separate law, according to the BBC, which said the Trump administration has appealed the ruling.

The Trump administration has 10 days to reverse the tariffs, the BBC said, although the majority have been paused until July.

Navigate the shifting tariff landscape with real-time data and market-leading analysis.

Request a free demo for GlobalData’s Strategic Intelligence here .

"US federal court blocks global tariffs in blow to Trump’s authority" was originally created and published by Just Food , a GlobalData owned brand.

The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.