A federal appeals court has overturned most of the tariffs imposed during Donald Trump‘s presidency, declaring that he exceeded his presidential powers when he put them in place.
According to Linda Ikeji Blog, he US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled 7-4 that Trump’s widespread tariffs violated the law because presidents don’t have the authority to set tariffs on their own – that power belongs to Congress under the Constitution.
The court specifically rejected Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to justify the tariffs. The judges said this law doesn’t allow presidents to unilaterally impose trade taxes.
The ruling eliminates Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs that affected countries around the world, along with specific measures targeting China, Mexico, and Canada.
However, tariffs imposed under different legal frameworks, like those on steel and aluminum, remain in place.
The legal challenge came from small businesses and several states that sued over Trump’s 2024 executive orders creating a 10% tax on nearly all imports.
A lower court had already struck down these tariffs, but enforcement was delayed during the appeals process.
Trump responded angrily on Truth Social, calling the court “highly partisan” and claiming that removing the tariffs would “literally destroy the United States.”
He defended the tariffs as necessary for national security and economic strength.
Government attorneys had also asked the court to keep the tariffs, warning that eliminating them could cause an economic crash similar to the 1929 stock market collapse.
The ruling takes effect October 14 unless overturned. The case is expected to go to the Supreme Court next, where Trump appointed three of the six conservative justices.
