(VOVWORLD) - The US Court of International Trade blocked President Donald Trump's tariffs from going into effect in a ruling on Wednesday that claimed the President had no authority to unilaterally impose across-the-board duties on imports from US trading partners.
 US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 2, 2025. (Photo: Reuters) |
The decision came in response to a case filed by a group of 5 small businesses, who called the Trump Administration’s sweeping tariffs on more than 50 countries in April “an unprecedented and unlawful expansion of executive authority."
Attorneys representing these businesses argued that Trump's worldwide tariffs had exceeded his power under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), which his administration cited in imposing those tariffs.
“The President’s justification does not meet the standards set forth in the IEEPA,” the lawyers said, adding that “trade deficits, which have persisted for decades without causing economic harm, are not an emergency.”
This is the first ruling by a federal court on the legality of Trump’s tariff measures. Previously, a federal judge in Florida suggested the president has the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs, but subsequently transferred the case to the New York-based US Court of International Trade.