US Supreme Court deals Trump a major blow, declares President Trump's tariffs illegal

President Trump has received a major blow from the US Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court has ruled that Trump has no legal authority to impose tariffs. The court declared that Trump's tariffs on countries around the world are illegal. The Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority by imposing large tariffs using a national emergency law.

However, Trump misused his wartime powers and imposed tariffs without Congress's consent.

The court stated that the law "does not authorize the President to impose tariffs." In a 6-3 decision by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court upheld a lower court's finding that Trump abused his authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose large-scale import taxes.

This 1977 law allows the President to regulate commerce during a national emergency, but it does not explicitly mention tariffs.

President did not seek congressional approval

According to Reuters, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the decision that "to justify his claim to exclusive power to impose tariffs, the President must demonstrate clear congressional approval." The court further stated, "He cannot do that."

The Supreme Court noted that the President cited wartime emergency powers to justify the tariffs. However, the court stated that wartime powers do not justify the use of the IEEPA for tariffs. The President has no inherent authority to impose tariffs during peacetime.

Decision by a 6-3 majority

This Supreme Court decision, reached by a 6-3 majority, concerns tariffs imposed under the Emergency Powers Act, which Trump used to impose large "reciprocal" tariffs on nearly every other country.

This is the first major part of Trump's broader agenda to come directly before the nation's highest court.

A majority of the justices stated in their decision that the Constitution "very clearly" grants Congress the power to impose taxes, including tariffs. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, "The framers of the Constitution did not delegate any portion of the taxing power to the executive branch."

India was the first to be hit by the tariffs. It appeared that this Supreme Court decision would have a major impact on US-India trade relations. Trump's aggressive trade policy had strained New Delhi-Washington relations.

India was among the first countries affected by Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs announced on April 2nd. Trump called this day "Liberation Day."

Summary

Trump repeatedly criticized India's tariff structure. He called India's economy a "dead economy." Trump criticized India's agricultural sector. The tariffs targeted duties on the foreign economy, medical devices,