But now, a major blow has landed. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Trump did not have the legal authority to declare national emergencies and unilaterally impose tariffs on countries around the world.
In a 7–4 decision, the Court of Appeals sided with the U.S. trade court, which had already struck down the tariffs back in May. However, the appeals court gave the administration room to take its fight to the Supreme Court — meaning the tariffs remain in place for now.
The tariffs the Trump administration slapped on specific industries – like cars, steel, and aluminum – aren’t part of Friday’s court ruling. Instead, the decision targeted Trump’s sweeping tariffs applied to nearly every country, which he justified by pointing to America’s massive trade deficit in goods.