Facing the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that struck down most of the tariffs President Donald Trump had imposed, Trump announced a new global surcharge of ten percent. “Today I will sign an order to impose, pursuant to Section 122, a worldwide 10 percent tariff in addition to the normal duties already levied” Trump wrote on his personal platform on Friday. He added that the administration would also launch several investigations under Section 301 and other statutes to shield the country from unfair trade practices.
The Court, in a 6‑3 decision, held that the President had exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Chief Justice John Roberts, in the majority opinion, noted that the President had claimed “extraordinary power” to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlimited magnitude, duration, and scope, and asserted that the President must provide clear congressional authorization to exercise such power.
Trump’s new tariff is based on Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, which allows a president to levy up to a 15 percent surcharge for no more than 150 days when there is a substantial imbalance in the balance of payments.
In a sharp rebuke of the Court, Trump branded the justices “Democrats in the Court” and called them a “shame for our nation”. He described them as “ill‑loyal to the Constitution” “fools” and “puppets for pseudo‑Republicans and radical left Democrats” alleging that the Court had been influenced by foreign interests, though he offered no evidence for these claims.
