"Most tariffs illegal" U.S. court decision…Trump "The country will fall into disaster"

Trump "Still in effect" intention to appeal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that many of the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump's administration were illegal. Reuters reported on the 29th (local time) that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has put the brakes on the Trump administration's tariff policy.

The court said of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which President Trump relied on as the basis for his executive orders, that "it grants the President the authority to take various measures in response to a national emergency," but "such measures do not include the authority to impose tariffs, duties, or similar taxation."

It added, "It is hard to say that Congress intended to give the President unlimited tariff authority when it enacted IEEPA," and "the law did not mention tariffs themselves and contains no procedural safeguards limiting the President's tariff authority."

This ruling was handed down in a case in which the government appealed a May decision by the United States Court of International Trade (USCIT) that tariff imposition authority belongs to Congress. The tariffs at issue were those President Trump imposed on China, Canada, Mexico, etc. citing fentanyl inflows, and the reciprocal tariffs imposed worldwide in April. However, tariffs on specific items such as steel and aluminum were not included in this ruling.

Immediately after the ruling, President Trump reacted on his social media platform Truth Social, calling the "court politically biased" and asserting "all tariffs are still in effect." He said, "If these tariffs disappear, the country will fall into total disaster," and declared his intention to appeal, saying, "With the help of the Supreme Court, I will use tariffs to benefit our country."

Reuters also reported that a separate ruling from a Washington D.C. court found that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. Enacted in 1977, IEEPA has mainly been used for sanctions against enemy states or asset freezes, and Reuters added that it is the first time it has been applied to tariffs on the grounds of trade imbalances, manufacturing competitiveness, or drug smuggling as former President Trump did.

Hyunbo Shin, Hankyung.com reporter greaterfool@hankyung.com