Trump’s 15% Tariffs: US-China Trade War Escalates

President Donald Trump has raised the global duty on imports into the United States to 15 percent, a day after the Supreme Court ruled against a major part of his tariff program. The move doubles down on his promise to maintain an aggressive tariff policy and is expected to provoke further uncertainty in global trade.

High Court Defeat

Trump said on his Truth Social platform that after reviewing Friday’s Supreme Court decision to rein in his tariff program, the administration was hiking import levies “to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level.” He had initially announced a new 10 percent global levy after the court’s ruling, invoking a different legal avenue.

The Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling rejected the president’s authority to impose tariffs under a 1977 economic emergency powers act. Trump responded with a personal attack on the conservative justices who sided with the majority, calling them “fools and lap dogs.”

The ruling was a significant rebuke of the president’s economic policy, which has disrupted the global trade order. The new duty is temporary, allowable for 150 days, with exemptions remaining for sectors under separate probes, including pharmaceuticals, and goods entering the US under the US-Mexico-Canada agreement.

Trading partners that reached separate tariff deals with the Trump administration will also face the new global tariff, the White House said Friday.

The court ruling did not impact sector-specific duties already imposed on steel, aluminum, and other goods. Government probes still underway could lead to additional sectoral tariffs.

Trump praised the conservative justices who voted to uphold his authority to levy tariffs – Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh – thanking them “for their strength and wisdom, and love of our country.” He alleged the majority of justices had been “swayed by foreign interests.”

Shares on Wall Street rose modestly Friday following the decision, which had been anticipated. Business groups largely welcomed the ruling, with the National Retail Federation stating it “provides much-needed certainty” for companies.

The Trump administration has said companies would receive refunds if the tariffs were deemed unlawful, but the Supreme Court’s ruling did not address this issue. Trump anticipates years of litigation regarding refunds, with Kavanaugh noting the process could be a “mess.”