Trump Tariffs Live Updates: US Supreme Court Strikes Down Most Of Trump’s Tariffs, Says They Are Illegal

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Last Updated:February 20, 2026, 20:59 IST

The Supreme Court's decision affirms earlier findings by lower courts that tariffs Trump imposed under IEEPA were illegal.

The US Supreme Court ruled Friday that Donald Trump exceeded his authority in imposing a swath of tariffs that upended global trade, blocking a key tool the president has wielded to impose his economic agenda.

The conservative-majority high court ruled six-three in the judgment, saying the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) “does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.”

While Trump has long used tariffs as a lever for pressure and negotiations, he made unprecedented use of emergency economic powers upon returning to the presidency last year to slap new duties on virtually all US trading partners.

These included “reciprocal” tariffs over trade practices that Washington deemed unfair, alongside separate sets of duties targeting major partners Mexico, Canada and China over illicit drug flows and immigration.

The court on Friday noted that “had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs” with IEEPA, “it would have done so expressly, as it consistently has in other tariff statutes.”

The ruling does not impact sector-specific duties that Trump has separately imposed on imports of steel, aluminum and various other goods. Formal probes which could ultimately lead to more such sectoral tariffs remain in the works.

The Supreme Court’s decision affirms earlier findings by lower courts that tariffs Trump imposed under IEEPA were illegal.

A lower trade court had ruled in May that Trump overstepped his authority with across-the-board levies and blocked most of them from taking effect, but that outcome had been put on hold as the government sought an appeal.

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Trump Tariffs Verdict Live: Chief Justice Roberts Leads Majority As SC Rejects Use Of Emergency Law For Tariffs

The opinion of the court was written by Chief Justice John Roberts. He was joined by three liberal members of the bench as well as two conservative justices, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, forming the 6–3 majority.

In his written judgment, Roberts said the president had claimed sweeping authority to impose tariffs without limits on their scale, duration or reach. However, he noted that the Trump administration had failed to identify any law in which Congress clearly stated that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) could be used to introduce tariffs.

Roberts concluded that the emergency powers law did not grant the president the authority to impose such trade measures.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito disagreed with the majority and issued dissenting opinions.

Trump Tariffs Verdict Live: US Supreme Court Rules Trump Exceeded Authority In Imposing Tariffs

In a major ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States held that former President Donald Trump acted beyond his legal powers when he imposed wide-ranging tariffs on multiple countries without clear approval from Congress.

The court delivered its decision by a 6–3 majority, marking a significant blow to Trump’s trade policy approach. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts stated that the president claimed “extraordinary power” to impose tariffs without limits on amount, duration or scope.

“The president asserts the extraordinary power to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlimited amount, duration, and scope,” Roberts wrote.

He further added, “In light of the breadth, history, and constitutional context of that asserted authority, he must identify clear congressional authorisation to exercise it.”