The Trump tariffs can keep collecting import taxes for now, per a ruling from a federal appeals court. The ruling occurred a day after a large chunk of US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs was found to be illegal. Trump’s moves regarding tariffs have been one of the major controversial aspects of his second term in the Oval Office. The president has been using tariffs as an economic weapon of choice since returning to office. The Trump tariffs remain a subject of controversy in Trump’s second presidency.
Trump Tariffs Causing Chaos in the US
A federal appeals court granted the Trump administration a temporary pause on a lower-court ruling that tore down a majority of Trump’s tariffs. The administration communicated to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that it would look for “emergency relief” on Friday from the Supreme Court if the tariff ruling were not put on pause quickly.
Trump has used tariffs – or the threat of them as a power move since he returned to the Oval Office. He has slapped allies and adversaries with import duties. Additionally, he has raised their rates to extremely high levels, but then changes his mind and suddenly pauses or reduces the charges. Agressively and swiftly, Trump has used tariffs as a power chess move. However, there have been some warnings about tariffs on auto car parts.
Due to the Trump tariffs, global and market leaders have constantly scrambled trying to figure out Trump’s next moves. Additionally, major retailers have sounded the alarm, warning about higher prices for American consumers. The president recently threatened tariffs on the EU and Apple. Despite the ruling, Trump officials insist that they have other avenues to impose tariffs.
Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro said the Trump team would find another way to impose tariffs. He told reporters at the White House, “Even if we lose, we will do it another way.” Per the US Court of International Trade, “The request for an immediate administrative stay is granted to the extent that the judgments and the permanent injunctions entered by the Court of International Trade in these cases are temporarily stayed until further notice while this court considers the motions papers.”
The pause gives the Trump administration some space as it fights to halt the trade court’s ruling during the appeals process. Already, the court’s ruling appeared to loosen the Trump administration’s hold in a series of bilateral trade negotiations in process. Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social, “This decision is being hailed all over the World by every Country, other than the United States of America.”
He added, “If allowed to stand, this would completely destroy Presidential Power – The Presidency would never be the same!” Trump even called the ruling “the harshest financial ruling ever leveled on us as a Sovereign Nation.” One of the judges involved in the ruling was a Trump appointee. The 1970s-era law invoked by Trump to enact the tariffs was found not to “confer such unbounded authority” to presidents.”
The comprehensive, long-term ban they enacted encompassed all of the retaliatory tariffs implemented by Trump in April, which were part of his ambitious “liberation day” initiative aimed at transforming international trade relations globally. According to the ruling, the Trump administration was barred from making any future changes to the tariffs in question. The administration was granted 10 days to make the changes. Shortly afterwards, an appeal was filed after the ruling was made in the battle over the Trump tariffs.
Final Thoughts on Trump Tariffs
The appeals court granted the plaintiffs and some domestic businesses at least one week to respond to the administration’s move for a stay, pending the appeal process. The government will have until June 9 to respond. Jeffery Schwab, a lawyer for the business plaintiffs, said that the pause is “a procedural step as the court considers the government’s request for a longer stay pending appeal.”Trump wrote on social media, “Hopefully, the Supreme Court will reverse this horrible, country-threatening decision, QUICKLY and DECISIVELY.”
