A federal court has blocked President Donald Trump’s wide range tariffs, in a major blow to his economic policies.
Some tariffs which have been subject to a thorough process – such as steel, aluminium and cars – will not be affected by this ruling.
The three judges ruled that President Trump overstepped his authority, when he used an emergency law to impose tariffs on nearly all countries.
The court ruling also blocks the separate levies the US imposed on China, Mexico and Canada.
The ruling is no doubt, a serious blow to one of President Trump’s key economic policies, which he has aggressively pursued in the last two months.
Trump had said he had the power to impose trade tariffs, because he was responding to a national emergency needed by the US economy, and saw no need to wait for legislation from Congress, to apply import taxes on goods coming in, from other countries.
But the US Court of International Trade rules that he exceeded the authority of the emergency powers. For that reason, the court has given the White House 10 days to complete the process of removing almost all tariffs, maintaining, they imposed, illegally.
Within minutes the Trump administration filed an appeal, saying it isn’t in the place of unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency.
This means a higher court will have to make it clear whether President Trump can unilaterally impose import tariffs.
The ruling by the US court of international trade has thrown all of the nation’s ongoing trade negotiations with dozens of countries, into chaos.
