US Supreme Court Blocks Trump Emergency Tariffs

WASHINGTON—In a major legal setback for the administration, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026, that President Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs are illegal. In a 6–3 decision, the nation’s highest court found that the president overstepped his executive authority by bypassing Congress to impose broad import duties under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts clarified that the U.S. Constitution explicitly vests the power to levy and collect taxes—including tariffs—in Congress rather than the Executive Branch. The court held that while the president has certain emergency powers, those powers do not include the unilateral imposition of tariffs without specific congressional approval. Roberts noted that the 1977 statute contains no mention of tariffs or duties and therefore could not be used as a legal justification for the administration’s actions.

The ruling immediately invalidates the “Liberation Day” tariffs and other broad levies that the Trump administration had imposed on dozens of nations, including Pakistan, China, Mexico, and Canada. These measures had been a cornerstone of the administration’s trade policy, which the president recently defended by claiming he had used such economic leverage to stop five out of eight potential global conflicts.

President Trump had previously warned that a ruling against the tariffs would be detrimental to national security and the economy. Following the decision, he criticized the ruling as a “disgrace” and an “abuse of power” by the court, specifically targeting justices he had appointed who sided with the majority. Despite the legal blow, the President suggested that his administration has “great alternatives” and may look to other statutes, such as the Trade Act of 1974, to maintain his trade agenda.

Foreign media and trade experts suggest that the ruling could create significant uncertainty regarding recent trade agreements and may lead to billions of dollars in refund claims from importers who paid the illegal duties. While industry-specific tariffs on steel and aluminum remain in effect under different laws, the Supreme Court’s decision effectively ends the administration’s ability to use broad emergency declarations to tax foreign imports.