WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 21 raised global tariffs on U.S. imports to 15% and doubled down on his promise to:
maintain an aggressive tariff policy
A day after the Supreme Court ruled that much of it was illegal.
Mr. Trump spoke on his Truth Social platform after thoroughly reviewing his “extraordinary anti-American decision” on February 20th.
Tariff program suppressed by court
the administration had raised import duties to a “fully permissible and legally tested 15% level.”
Shortly after the court’s 6-3 ruling denying the president’s authority to impose tariffs under the Economic Emergency Powers Act of 1977, Mr. Trump initially announced he would use another legal tool to impose new 10% tariffs worldwide.
At the same time, he launched an unusually personal attack on conservative judges who sided with the majority, accusing them of “dishonesty” and calling them “stupid dogs.”
The ruling was a stunning rebuke by the high court, which has largely sided with the president since his return to office, but marked a major political setback in striking down Trump’s signature economic policies that have disrupted the global trade order.
US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he would increase tariffs from 10% to 15%.
The Feb. 21 announcement is sure to cause further uncertainty as Mr. Trump continues his trade war to appease and punish countries both friend and foe.
This is the latest move in a series of steps over the past year in which Trump’s team has set, then changed or reversed, numerous tariff levels on countries sending goods to the United States.
The new obligations under the law are temporary and will last for 150 days.
Exemptions remain for areas that are subject to individual scrutiny, such as pharmaceuticals and goods imported into the United States under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, according to a White House fact sheet.
On February 20, the White House announced that U.S. trading partners that had separate tariff agreements with the Trump administration would also face new global tariffs.
The court’s Feb. 20 ruling did not affect sector-specific tariffs that Mr. Trump had imposed on steel, aluminum and a variety of other goods.
The government’s investigation is still ongoing and could lead to additional sector-specific tariffs.
But nevertheless, this was Trump’s biggest defeat at the Supreme Court since he returned to the White House 13 months ago.
The court generally expanded his powers.
Trump praised conservative justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, as well as Trump presidential candidate Brett Kavanaugh, who voted to retain tariff-imposition authority, thanking them for “their strength, their wisdom, and their love for our country.”
The president claimed that most of the six judges, including two appointed during his first term, were “swayed by foreign interests.”
“I think foreign interests are represented by people who I believe have undue influence,” he said.
Stock prices on Wall Street – Indicators that Mr. Trump pays attention to –
It rose slightly on February 20th after the decision was made.
it was as expected.
Business groups largely supported the ruling, with the National Retail Federation saying it “brings much-needed certainty” to businesses.
The Trump administration said in court arguments that companies would receive refunds if the tariffs were deemed illegal. However, the Supreme Court’s decision does not address this issue.
Trump said he expected years of litigation over whether to issue refunds.
Kavanaugh said the refund process could be “chaotic.”
Several countries said they were studying the Supreme Court’s decision and Trump’s subsequent tariff announcements.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on February 21 that he would consult with European allies to develop a “very clear European position” and a joint response to the United States before visiting the US capital in early March.
On the domestic front, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said on the AFP