Just one day after suffering a landmark defeat at the Supreme Court, President Trump raised the stakes in his trade war by announcing a 15% tariff on imports from all countries. Posting on Truth Social, Trump declared the move “effective immediately,” citing a rarely-used provision of the Trade Act of 1974 as his legal basis.
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad tariffs was unconstitutional, requiring congressional sign-off he had never sought. Undeterred, the president swiftly pivoted to Section 122 of the 1974 trade law, which allows tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days without legislative approval.
Trump reserved his sharpest criticism for the justices who voted against him, calling them “fools and lapdogs” and describing Justices Barrett and Gorsuch — both his own nominees — as “an embarrassment to their families.” He praised the three dissenters: Kavanaugh, Thomas, and Alito, calling them courageous.
World leaders pushed back. Germany’s Chancellor Merz said he planned to travel to Washington with a unified European position, warning that tariff uncertainty was acting like “poison” on transatlantic economies. France’s Macron underscored the value of judicial checks, saying democracies need counterweights to executive power.
The 15% rate raises new complications for countries like the UK, which had negotiated a 10% deal. Exemptions apply to critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, metals, and USMCA-compliant goods from Canada and Mexico. Industry-specific tariffs on steel, aluminum, lumber, and automobiles — imposed under a different law — remain fully intact regardless of the Supreme Court’s ruling.