Trump's Global Tariffs Ruled Illegal by Supreme Court

Washington, DC, February 20, 2026-"President Trump’s global tariffs are illegal, the Supreme Court ruled Friday, in a stinging repudiation of a signature White House initiative,” reports the Wall Street Journal.

“The tariffs before the Supreme Court constituted a large majority of Trump’s duties. Over the next decade, the tariffs the president imposed through his claims of emergency powers were expected to raise about $1.5 trillion, according to the Tax Foundation, representing 70% of Trump’s second-term tariffs. 

“Trump imposed tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico in February of 2025 for not doing enough to prevent fentanyl and other illegal drugs from crossing the border into the U.S. Then in April, on a day he dubbed ‘Liberation Day,’ Trump announced a general 10% tariff on imports from virtually all countries and steeper levies on those the administration deems to be bad actors in trade. 

“Until Trump, no president had invoked the emergency-powers law as a basis to impose tariffs. Three different lower courts ruled the tariffs unlawful, including a specialized federal appeals court of national jurisdiction that said the emergency-powers law didn’t authorize tariffs of the magnitude Trump imposed.

“Across the three decisions, 15 judges weighed in on Trump’s actions, with 11 concluding the president exceeded his authority. The Supreme Court, too, signaled skepticism when it heard fast-track oral arguments in November.

“The tariffs remained in place during the litigation. The Trump administration had urged the high court to resolve the matter quickly, saying the nation couldn’t afford to wait until the summer for a final decision. 

“Trump has boasted about the billions of dollars being raised by his tariffs, despite the government arguing in court that any revenue is only incidental. The tariffs are in place to regulate foreign commerce, Solicitor General John Sauer told the justices during the November proceedings.”

This is a developing story.