Donald Trump doubles down on aggressive tariff policy with 15% global tax – key US politics stories from 21 February 2026 at a glance
Donald Trump raised the global duty on imports into the US to 15% on Saturday, doubling down on his promise to maintain his aggressive tariff policy a day after the supreme court ruled much of it illegal.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform that after a thorough review of Friday’s “extraordinarily anti-American decision” by the court to rein in his tariff program, the administration was hiking the import levies “to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level”.
Shortly after the court’s 6-3 ruling that rejected the president’s authority to impose tariffs under a 1977 economic emergency powers act, Trump had initially announced a new 10% global levy by invoking a different legal avenue.
While Trump’s announcement claimed the new tariffs would take effect “immediately”, it was unclear whether any official documents had been signed confirming the timing. A White House fact sheet issued on Friday regarding the original 10% tariffs said the levies would go into effect at 12.01am ET on 24 February.
