In a significant ruling with constitutional implications, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of International Trade has struck down a broad set of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump earlier this year. The court found that the administration’s actions exceeded the statutory limits of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and, in doing so, violated the Constitution’s separation of powers.
The ruling is a decisive pushback against the use of emergency declarations to bypass congressional authority on trade, and it places new judicial limits on how far future presidents can go in using IEEPA as a tool for tariff policy.
Two Tariff Programs, One Core Problem
The court reviewed and ultimately invalidated two related tariff programs:
- Trafficking Tariffs: These included 25% duties on imports from Mexico and Canada and 10–20% on…
