Trump's tariffs dealt catastrophic blow as judge rules them illegal

President Donald Trump's global tariffs were declared illegal and blocked by a federal court on Wednesday in a massive blow to his administration.

The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits from Democratic-led states and a group of small businesses argued Trump had wrongfully invoked an emergency law to justify the levies.

The court agreed.

'The Worldwide and Retaliatory Tariff Orders exceed any authority granted to the President by IEEPA to regulate importation by means of tariffs,' the court wrote, referring to the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The White House blasted the decision.