US Court of International Trade Permanently Invalidates President Trump's Global Tariffs

A US federal court has ruled that President Donald Trump does not have the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs, dealing a blow to a key tool he has used in the ongoing global trade war.

US President Donald Trump announces new reciprocal tariffs at the White House, April 2, 2025. Photo: Reuters/TTXVN

According to ABC News on May 29, a panel of judges at the US Court of International Trade determined that these tariffs were illegal and permanently invalidated them.

Since President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on more than 50 countries in April, his administration has faced a series of lawsuits challenging the president's ability to impose tariffs without congressional approval.

The Court of International Trade made the ruling in a lawsuit brought by a group of five small businesses, arguing that Mr Trump’s tariffs amounted to an “unprecedented power grab”.

Lawyers representing the small business group argue that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) — the law that Mr. Trump invoked to impose tariffs — does not give the president the power to impose tariffs globally, and that Mr. Trump’s justification for the tariffs is invalid.

“His so-called emergency is a fantasy,” the lawsuit states. “A trade deficit that has persisted for decades without causing economic harm cannot be considered an emergency.”

In a hearing earlier this month, a panel of three judges — appointed by Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan — asked small business attorneys to provide a legal basis for rejecting the tariffs.

Although another court in the 1970s determined that the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917—the predecessor to IEEPA—gave the president the power to impose tariffs, no court has ever ruled on whether a president can unilaterally impose tariffs under IEEPA.

During a hearing on May 13, Jeffrey Schwab, a lawyer for the Liberty Justice Center – a conservative organization representing the plaintiffs – argued that the so-called emergency invoked by Mr. Trump completely fails to meet the legal requirements.

“I asked the court to rule and say it was an illegal hit, and you asked me, where is the strike zone? Is it knee level or a little below knee level?” Schwab argued. “I said it was a wild hit, it went across the batter and hit the backboard, so we don’t need to argue about that.”

The ruling by the US Court of International Trade marks the first time a federal court has ruled on the legality of tariffs imposed by Mr. Trump.

Earlier in May, a federal judge in Florida appointed by Mr Trump suggested that the president might have the authority to impose tariffs unilaterally, but opted to refer the case to the Court of International Trade.

According to News and People Newspaper

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/quoc-te/toa-an-thuong-mai-quoc-te-my-vo-hieu-hoa-vinh-vien-thue-quan-toan-cau-cua-tong-thong-trump/20250529075931866