Trump signs new tariffs after Supreme Court strikes down previous global duties

President Donald Trump has announced a new 10 percent tariff on imports from all countries, following a Supreme Court ruling that limited his previous tariff powers and prompting a scramble for legal alternatives amidst market uncertainty.

President Donald Trump has announced he signed an order to impose a 10 percent tariff on imports from every country, declaring the measure would take effect “almost immediately.” The announcement, posted on his Truth Social accoun...

t on 21 February, read: “Для меня большая честь только что подписать в Овальном кабинете указ о введении 10-процентной пошлины на товары из всех стран мира, который вступит в силу почти немедленно. Спасибо за внимание к этому вопросу!”

The White House website subsequently indicated the proclamation would come into force on 24 February. The move follows the US Supreme Court’s 20 February decision that struck down Mr Trump’s earlier global tariff regime imposed under emergency powers, a ruling that a majority of justices said reaffirmed Congress’s exclusive authority to levy duties. According to AP and Time, the court delivered a 6-3 judgment, with two of Mr Trump’s own appointees joining the majority, and the opinion underscored limits on presidential use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Although Mr Trump characterised the court’s decision as a “shame” and launched unusually personal attacks on several justices, the administration has sought alternative legal pathways to sustain trade levies. Axios reports the president has relied on narrower statutory authorities , including elements of the Trade Act of 1974 and other emergency statutes , to underpin the new proclamation and to preserve the ability to suspend certain duty‑free treatments such as de minimis thresholds. AP coverage also described an escalation in Mr Trump’s tariff posture, reporting that he indicated plans to raise a previously proposed global rate from 10 percent to 15 percent, though the White House has not confirmed a signed order for that higher rate.

Legal observers and affected businesses have warned the litigation and judicial rebuke create uncertainty for exporters, importers and global markets. Time and AP noted the Supreme Court’s ruling could open the door to claims for refunds from firms that paid earlier levies and highlighted the broader constitutional issue: the Court reasserted that significant economic policy choices belong to Congress. Reuters had earlier reported the court’s decision invalidated the administration’s wide-ranging reciprocal duties, and that the previous tariff programme had generated substantial revenue while provoking widespread legal and political opposition.

The administration frames the new proclamation as a tailored, legally defensible response to the court’s limits. Axios says officials are also exploring targeted tariffs on specific countries and goods , measures that could include reinstated levies on Chinese products or duties tied to steel and aluminium , by invoking alternative trade authorities. Critics argue such workarounds may face fresh legal challenges and will do little to reduce the uncertainty that businesses say is harming supply chains and planning.

Mr Trump’s announcement arrives amid heightened tensions between the executive and the judiciary and ahead of high-profile political events in Washington. With the Supreme Court having constrained the scope of unilateral presidential tariffs, the latest proclamation signals the administration’s intent to continue an aggressive trade agenda while seeking statutory and regulatory footholds that can withstand judicial scrutiny.

Source: Noah Wire Services