President Trump’s trade arsenal reloaded swiftly after the Supreme Court dismantled key weapons. Leveraging Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, he’s imposed a 15 percent tariff on every import, a universal salvo one day post-ruling.
Never before invoked for duties, this clause lets the president enact 150-day emergency tariffs up to 15 percent sans Congress—now in play after Trump’s 10-to-15 percent ramp-up, as chronicled by the Journal.
His Truth Social missive dissected the court’s ‘ludicrous’ verdict, justifying the hike as payback against exploiters. ‘New, ironclad tariffs ahead to make America great,’ he assured followers.
Context: Roberts’ majority opinion torched claims of unlimited tariff power under emergency laws, voiding $130 billion hauls and fueling refund buzz. Trump scorched ‘cowardly’ justices but saluted the dissenters’ valor.
Steel, autos stay shielded under security exemptions; the rest face the blanket hit. Foreign entities previously yielding to tariff threats could now counterpunch amid U.S. legal flux.
This episode spotlights Trump’s tenacity in reshaping global trade, prioritizing U.S. leverage over judicial rebukes. Implications loom large: inflation pressures, supply disruptions, and diplomatic frictions.
As the administration crafts durable tariff frameworks, stakeholders from Wall Street to world capitals recalibrate. Trump’s unyielding stance reaffirms protectionism’s grip on U.S. policy, whatever the courts decree.