Democrats reveled in the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate Donald Trump’s global tariffs, dealing the President a crucial loss to one of his signature policies.
The justices ruled 6-3 that he exceeded his authority when imposing sweeping tariffs using a law reserved for a national emergency and that Trump’s aggressive approach was not permitted under a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
“The Supreme Court’s decision is clear,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “These tariffs were an unlawful backdoor tax on hardworking families, farmers and small businesses, raising prices on everything from groceries to building materials. We stood up to these reckless policies because New Yorkers were paying the price, and today the Court agreed.”
“The Supreme Court confirmed today that beyond just being reckless and vindictive, President Trump’s tariff scheme was also unconstitutional,” added U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “The president bypassed Congress, hiking prices on everyday goods and crushing family budgets and local businesses across America. These tariffs are a hidden tax on you, paid by hardworking Americans, not foreign countries
The ruling does not invalidate all of Trump’s tariffs. Duties on steel and aluminum, imposed under separate legal authorities, remain intact, per the court’s ruling. However, it overturns tariffs in two major areas. The first involves country-specific, or “reciprocal,” tariffs, which range from approximately 34% on Chinese imports to a 10% baseline applied to most other nations.
The second eliminates a 25% tariff on certain goods from Canada, China and Mexico, which the administration had justified by citing those countries’ alleged failure to curb the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were approximately 72,776 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. involving synthetic opioids (primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl) in 2023.
Trump imposed what he called “reciprocal” tariffs on most countries in April 2025, citing trade deficits he declared a national emergency. The move followed earlier duties on Canada, China and Mexico, which the administration said were aimed at addressing a drug trafficking emergency.
“I urge President Trump to respect this ruling, reimburse our small businesses for these illegal taxes, end these harmful tariffs immediately, and focus on lowering the cost of living for American families,” Gillibrand said.
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