Trump administration will seek expedited ruling from Supreme Court on tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump said that his administration will seek an expedited ruling from the Supreme Court on tariffs after a U.S. appeals court ruling declared the tariffs imposed by him illegal.

Trump reportedly told the media in the Oval Office that his administration will seek an expedited hearing from the Supreme Court as early as Wednesday, saying, “because we need an early decision…It’s a very important decision, and frankly, if they make the wrong decision, it will be devastation for our country.”

Earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that he is confident that the Supreme Court will uphold President Trump’s use of an emergency powers law from 1977 to impose retaliatory tariffs on most countries that the U.S. trades with. He also stated that the Trump administration has a backup plan in case the Supreme Court does not uphold the use.

“I’m confident the Supreme Court will uphold it—will uphold the president’s authority to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). And there are lots of other authorities that can be used—not as efficient, not as powerful,” Bessent told Reuters. One of those authorities, according to Bessent, is invoking Section 338 of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930. It allows the President to impose tariffs of up to 50% for five months against countries that discriminate against the interests of U.S. commerce.

He also said that he was working on a legal brief for the U.S. solicitor general, who will supervise the government’s appeal in the Supreme Court. The appeal will peg on how expedient it is to address the issue of unchecked trade imbalances for decades, and the influx of the lethal fentanyl in the U.S.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had ruled last week that most of Trump’s tariffs are illegal, with a 7–4 majority. Affirming a lower court’s decision, the court held that the IEEPA does not grant presidents the authority to impose tariffs unless it is a national emergency. Trump had repeatedly cited the legislature to justify his actions.

However, the court has allowed the tariffs to remain in place until mid-October, pending the Trump administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court. Yet, the ruling only covers Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs introduced from April, including the 25% reciprocal tariffs imposed on India, as well as a separate set of tariffs against China, Canada, and Mexico introduced in February. Neither does it cover the steel and aluminium tariffs imposed under other laws, nor the ad valorem duties, including the additional 25% imposed on India.

Reacting to the U.S. appeals court ruling, President Trump had vociferously defended his reciprocal tariffs as vital measures to protect American workers and businesses. He dismissed the court’s decision as “highly partisan,” and emphasised that the tariffs remain in force and expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will ultimately uphold them.

“Today, a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end. If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country. It would make us financially weak, and we have to be strong,” Trump wrote in his post on Truth Social.