Overview
- By a 6-3 vote, the justices ruled the 1977 emergency law does not authorize broad, economy-wide tariffs, with Chief Justice John Roberts citing a lack of historical precedent for such sweeping duties.
- Trump announced a new global 10% import tax under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, an authority capped in size and limited to 150 days unless Congress extends it, and one not previously used this way.
- Republicans split after the ruling, as figures like Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Rand Paul, and Reps. Don Bacon and Thomas Massie praised the decision, while Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled coordination with the administration.
- Prospects for Congress to restore or codify broad tariffs appear dim given slim GOP majorities and prior bipartisan votes against specific Trump duties, with reporting indicating significant resistance inside the House GOP.
- Democrats cast the decision as a win for consumers and a midterm campaign issue, urged refunds for Americans who paid now-invalidated levies, and warned that Trump’s new plan would still raise costs.