Trump imposes new 10% global tariff after stinging Supreme Court rebuke
Speaking to reporters after Supreme Court ruled his sweeping global tariffs illegal, Trump says he would impose tariffs using alternative authorities.
President Donald Trump has vowed to impose a 10 percent tariff on all imports into the United States after the Supreme Court struck down his use of emergency powers to levy duties under a 1977 law.
In a six-to-three ruling, the conservative-majority court found that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorise the president to impose tariffs.
"IEEPA contains no reference to tariffs or duties," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the opinion.
Trump sharply attacked the top court shortly after it handed down its 6-3 decision, saying he is "ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what's right for our country."
"Foreign countries that have been ripping us off for years are ecstatic. They're so happy, and they're dancing in the streets, but they won't be dancing for long. That I can assure you," he told reporters at the White House.
The US president said that in response to the ruling he would be signing an executive order to institute a 10 percent tariff "over and above our normal tariffs already being charged" on nations around the world later Friday in an attempt to work around the legal defeat.
Additional trade investigations will also be launched under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, he said.
The authorities allow a president to impose tariffs on nations deemed to be engaged in "unjustifiable," and "unreasonable or discriminatory" trade practices.
"Their decision is incorrect, but it doesn't matter, because we have very powerful alternatives that have been approved by this decision," Trump said of the Supreme Court.
'Win for the wallets'
The decision does not affect sector-specific duties previously imposed on steel, aluminium and other goods, nor ongoing government investigations that could result in additional tariffs.
The court noted that if Congress had intended to grant the president such "distinct and extraordinary power" under IEEPA, it would have done so explicitly.
The ruling marks Trump’s most significant setback at the Supreme Court since returning to office last year.
During his second term, he relied on emergency economic powers to impose "reciprocal" tariffs and separate duties on Mexico, Canada and China over trade practices, immigration and illicit drug flows.
However, the justices did not address how refunds would be handled.
Democratic leaders welcomed the outcome.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it a "win for the wallets" of consumers, while Senator Elizabeth Warren warned there remains "no legal mechanism" for many businesses to recover payments already made.
The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates the average effective tariff rate now stands at 9.1 percent, down from 16.9 percent before the ruling.