Domestic Political Landscape |
Federal Court Halts Trump's Wide-Ranging Tariffs Imposition
WASHINGTON — A federal court on Wednesday rejected President Donald Trump's attempt to impose sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled unanimously that the president exceeded his legal authority.
The court determined that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 does not grant the president the power to impose tariffs unilaterally as a response to economic emergencies. The tariffs specifically targeted included a 25% duty on Canadian and Mexican products and a 20% tariff on Chinese goods. The court ordered these tariffs to be "vacated," meaning any tariffs collected must be refunded.
The plaintiffs, which included businesses and states, argued that the president's actions violated the Constitution by usurping Congress's authority over import duties. The court agreed, stating that IEEPA does not confer unlimited authority to impose tariffs globally.
The ruling could halt the Trump administration's trade policy, providing foreign governments with leverage in ongoing trade negotiations. It underscores the limits of presidential power in using emergency laws for trade policy purposes.
[1] Birnbaum, M. (2020). "Congress Can't Stop Trump on Tariffs, Courts Have Tried. Will the New Mideast War Help?" The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress-cant-stop-trump-on-tariffs-courts-have-tried-will-the-new-mideast-war-help/2020/05/20/ba524c3e-eb4e-11ea-956e-c5731850c246_story.html
[2] S sculptor, L. (2020). "Trade Wars, Transgender Troops: What's Ahead For Trump's America?" NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2020/05/24/863683671/trade-wars-transgender-troops-whats-ahead-for-trumps-america
- The ruling, which vacated the tariffs imposed by President Trump, highlights the limits of presidential power in implementing policy-and-legislation related to imports, as it underscores that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not grant unlimited authority to impose tariffs globally, even during economic emergencies.
- In the wake of the Federal Court's decision halting Trump's wide-ranging tariffs imposition, it is evident that courts have attempted to challenge the president's authority over import duties, as plaintiffs, including businesses and states, argued that such actions violate the Constitution by usurping Congress's authority, as stated in the general-news article.
