US court rules Trump's tariffs illegal

The US Supreme Court has ruled that President Donald Trump exceeded his powers when he imposed massive tariffs on the import of foreign goods, the BBC reports .

The decision to cancel most of the trade tariffs that Trump introduced after his inauguration and return to the White House was upheld by the Supreme Court by a majority vote. Six judges called the president's actions beyond the law, and three disagreed with this interpretation.

The US Supreme Court decision said Trump exceeded his authority by imposing massive tariffs under a law intended for national emergencies. At the same time, as CNN writes , citing the inner circle of the head of the White House, Trump called the Supreme Court decision “a disgrace” and said that he allegedly has a backup plan of action.

Trump, in introducing tariffs, relied on the expanded application of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). It was passed in 1977 and gave the US president the power to “regulate” trade in response to an emergency that posed an “unusual and extraordinary” threat.

Thus, Trump declared a state of emergency in connection with the fentanyl drug epidemic, using it as an excuse to impose tariffs on goods from Canada, China and Mexico. However, the US Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act “does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.”

This decision, notes the BBC, may lead to the fact that American businesses will now begin to demand in lower courts the return of duties already paid. According to the publication's calculations, we are talking about an amount of almost $150 billion.

Photo: The White House