A federal appeals court has ruled against certain tariffs imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, finding that his administration exceeded its authority in enacting them.
The judges determined that the imposition of tariffs is a core constitutional responsibility of the U.S. Congress and that Trump’s actions circumvented the legislative process. The court found that invoking a national emergency to justify the tariffs, based on a U.S. trade deficit, was not a permissible use of executive power.
Despite the ruling, the tariffs remain in effect for now. The court issued a stay of its order until October, providing the Trump administration with time to appeal to the Supreme Court – a course of action the U.S. government has already announced it will pursue.
The decision primarily concerns tariffs enacted in April, which were justified by the administration as a response to a purported national emergency stemming from U.S. import surpluses. The court rejected this rationale. It remains unclear what impact the ruling will have on existing trade agreements, including those with the European Union.
