Supreme Court won't stop Trump's tariffs. Deal with it, officials say

Source: Reuters

Supreme Court won't stop Trump's tariffs. Deal with it, officials say

By David Lawder
November 3, 2025 5:22 AM EST Updated 16 mins ago

Summary
* Trump employs various legal authorities to impose tariffs
* If emergency law disallowed, other tariff paths remain
* Countries negotiate trade deals to mitigate tariff impact
* Tariffs strain corporate profits, risk inflation increase

{snip}

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expects the Supreme Court to uphold the IEEPA-based tariffs. But if it strikes down the tariffs, Bessent said in an interview, the administration will simply switch to other tariff authorities, including Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows broad 15% tariffs for 150 days to calm trade imbalances.

Bessent said Trump also can invoke Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a statute that allows tariffs up to 50% on countries that discriminate against U.S. commerce. .... "You should assume that they're here to stay," Bessent said of Trump's tariffs. ... For countries that have negotiated tariff-lowering trade deals with Trump, "you should honor your agreement," Bessent added. "Those of you who got a good deal should stick with it."

Trump already is using other authorities for certain tariffs. He is busy piling up tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 involving national security concerns to protect strategic sectors including autos, copper, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, robotics and aircraft, as well as tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 involving unfair trade practices investigations.

"This administration is committed to tariffs as a cornerstone of economic policy, and companies and industries should plan accordingly," said Tim Brightbill, co-chair of law firm Wiley Rein's trade law practice in Washington.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/supreme-court-wont-stop-trumps-tariffs-deal-with-it-officials-say-2025-11-03/