US Appeals Court Upholds Trump's Tariffs, Allowing Them to Remain During Ongoing Appeals
Uncensored, Unbiased Take:
President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, a move seen by critics as his most ambitious yet, are still in effect thanks to a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. These tariffs, affecting imports from numerous trading partners and enforced as negotiation leverage, have sent shockwaves through international markets.
The decision by the Federal Circuit Court means Trump can continue enforcing these tariffs, including the "Liberation Day" tariffs and those levied on Canada, China, and Mexico, while they review the lower-court decision that blocked them. The court has set arguments for July 31.
The court hasn't ruled on whether the tariffs are permissible under the Emergency Economic Powers Act, but they've allowed the duties to remain in place during the appeals process. The court believes the litigation raises issues of "exceptional importance" and has chosen to hear the appeal as a full court, rather than a smaller panel initially.
Courts across the nation have previously found these tariffs unlawful under the Emergency Economic Powers Act, but for now, Trump's authority to impose these tariffs seems unchallenged. The White House and the state of Oregon, involved in the case, have yet to comment.
Trump has argued for broad authority to set tariffs under the Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law historically used to impose sanctions on enemies of the US or freeze their assets. Trump is the first US president to use it to impose tariffs.
Critics, including small businesses and states, have slammed the tariffs as inappropriate and illegal ways to address issues like illegal fentanyl trafficking and the US trade deficit. They argue that these issues don't qualify as emergencies under the Emergency Economic Powers Act. As of now, at least five other court cases are challenging the tariffs justified under this act.
Stopping the tariffs is far from over. The outcome of ongoing appeals will decide the future of President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs.
The tariffs approved under the Emergency Economic Powers Act have been challenged in multiple federal courts. On May 28, 2025, the Court of International Trade unanimously struck down the tariffs, ruling them unlawful under the act. However, this ruling was immediately appealed and is currently under review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In addition, a federal judge in the District of Columbia issued a narrower ruling, blocking the tariffs as applied to two small businesses, challenging the administration’s use of IEEPA authority for these tariffs. Both lower court rulings have been stayed while appeals are pending.
- The tariffs approved under the Emergency Economic Powers Act continue to be a subject of intense scrutiny in policy-and-legislation circles, as they have been challenged in multiple federal courts, and the outcome of ongoing appeals will determine their future.
- The controversy surrounding President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs extends to the realm of general-news and politics, with critics arguing that these tariffs are inappropriate and illegal means to tackle issues like illegal fentanyl trafficking and the US trade deficit, while small businesses and states contest the administration's use of the Emergency Economic Powers Act for these tariffs.
