The federal Court of International Trade on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, arguing that emergency laws invoked by the Administration did not give Trump unilateral authority to impose the levies. Per the court’s ruling, the U.S. Constitution gives Congress exclusive powers to regulate trade with other countries, something which Trump cannot supersede.
The May 28 ruling also blocked a different set of levies the Trump Administration imposed on Canada, China, and Mexico, for what the White House said was in response to the unacceptable flow of drugs and illegal immigrants across the U.S. border.
However, on Thursday, Trump was granted a reprieve, of sorts, as a federal appeals court temporarily spared his tariffs while it considers the legal challenge. Trump will be able to continue collecting tariffs under an emergency powers law for now.
Trump announced most of his tariffs—the ones he calls “reciprocal”— on April 2, his self-appointed “Liberation Day.” A baseline rate of 10% …