In a swift defiance of the judiciary, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that his planned universal import tariffs will climb to 15%, up from the previously proposed 10%. This escalation comes less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court blocked his «reciprocal» tariff strategy, ruling that the administration overstepped its legal authority by invoking emergency economic powers.+1
Trump utilized his Truth Social platform to declare the hike «effective immediately,» framing the move as a necessary correction for decades of unfair global trade practices. Legal experts, however, note a potential procedural gap: while the President claims immediate effect, existing White House schedules had the initial 10% levy slated for activation on February 24.
To bypass the Supreme Court’s restrictions, the administration is now leaning on Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. While this grant of power is legally distinct from the one recently struck down, it limits the President to imposing only temporary measures without the explicit consent of Congress. The announcement has heightened tensions ahead of Tuesday’s State of the Union address, particularly as Trump issued rare personal rebukes against conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett for their roles in the 6-3 ruling against him.