TRUMP HIKES GLOBAL IMPORT TARIFF TO 15% DESPITE SUPREME COURT SETBACK
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By: Sefiu Ajape
President Donald Trump on Saturday increased the global duty on imports into the United States to 15 percent, reinforcing his commitment to an aggressive tariff policy just a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that much of the programme was unlawful.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that following a review of Friday’s “extraordinarily anti-American decision” by the court to curb his tariff agenda, his administration would raise import levies “to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level.”
The announcement came shortly after the court’s 6–3 ruling rejected the president’s authority to impose tariffs under a 1977 economic emergency powers law. Trump had initially responded by unveiling a new 10 percent global levy through an alternative legal pathway.
Republican allies also launched sharp criticism against conservative justices who sided with the majority, accusing them of “disloyalty” and describing them as “fools and lapdogs.”
The decision represented a significant setback for Trump, whose economic approach has heavily relied on tariffs and has disrupted global trade dynamics. The ruling was notable given that the court has largely backed the president since his return to office.
Saturday’s move is expected to heighten uncertainty as Trump continues a trade strategy used to pressure both allies and rivals. Over the past year, multiple tariff rates affecting goods entering the United States have been introduced, revised, or withdrawn by his administration.
Several countries said they were reviewing both the court ruling and the latest tariff measures. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged restraint, stating, “I want to tell the US President Donald Trump that we don’t want a new Cold War. We don’t want interference in any other country; we want all countries to be treated equally.”
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would consult European partners to develop “a very clear European position” ahead of a planned visit to Washington in early March.
Within the United States, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said on X that it was time for Trump to “listen to the Supreme Court, end chaotic tariffs, and stop wreaking havoc on our farmers, small business owners, and families.”
Under the law, the new duty is temporary and can remain in force for 150 days. A White House fact sheet noted that exemptions would continue for sectors under separate investigations, including pharmaceuticals, as well as goods traded under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Trading partners that negotiated separate tariff arrangements with Washington will also be subject to the new global levy.
Although Friday’s ruling did not affect sector-specific tariffs already imposed on steel, aluminum, and other products, it marked Trump’s most significant Supreme Court defeat since returning to the presidency 13 months ago.
Trump praised the conservative justices who supported his authority—Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh—thanking them “for their strength and wisdom and love of our country,” while alleging that the majority had been “swayed by foreign interests.”
Financial markets reacted cautiously, with Wall Street shares posting modest gains following the expected decision. Business groups broadly welcomed the outcome, with the National Retail Federation saying the ruling “provides much-needed certainty” for companies.
During court proceedings, the administration argued that companies would receive refunds if tariffs were ultimately deemed unlawful, though the Supreme Court did not address that issue. Trump said litigation over possible refunds could last years, while Justice Kavanaugh warned the process might become a “mess.”
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