Trump Tariffs Suffer New Setback in US Trade Court

A US trade court has dealt another blow to President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, ruling that his temporary 10% tariffs on imports from around the world were not justified under a 1970s law. The court lifted the tariffs only for two companies and the state of Washington, not for all importers.

For now, the duties therefore remain in place for most companies while the government appeals. They are due to remain in force only until July. The court said Trump had misapplied the law, which allows temporary tariffs in cases of serious balance-of-payments problems. According to the judges, the US is facing no such crisis.

The ruling marks another setback for Trump’s trade strategy, after the Supreme Court earlier blocked his broader tariffs. The president criticized the decision and accused the justices of political bias.

The administration nevertheless plans to continue its tariff policy and prepare new measures under a different law targeting unfair trade practices.

The ruling also opens the way for further lawsuits by companies seeking refunds of duties already paid. The dispute over billions of dollars is therefore likely to continue in higher courts.

(reuters, est)