Just hours after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs on Friday, he signed an order to impose another package of levies under a different law that wasn’t affected by the court’s decision.
But economists and trade experts were quick to point out that Trump’s plan B for his tariff regime also has no legal basis.
For the first time ever, the U.S. is invoking Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, which allows tariffs of up to 15% for as long as 150 days to quickly address international payments problems.
On Saturday, Trump hiked his new tariffs to 15%, less than 24 hours after setting them at 10% in an executive order. That’s after the Supreme Court ruled the president has no authority to apply tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
In a briefing with reporters Friday, Trump claimed the court endorsed his ability to use other means to carry out his trade agenda.
