By Anietie anii-bassey
President Donald Trump declared Saturday that he intends to pursue a 15% global tariff on imported goods, escalating his trade agenda just one day after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of the broad import taxes he imposed over the past year.
The announcement, delivered through social media, signaled that despite the high court’s rebuke, the Republican president remains determined to expand tariffs as a central pillar of his economic and foreign policy strategy. Tariffs have long been Trump’s preferred instrument for reshaping global commerce, reducing trade deficits and exerting pressure on foreign governments.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump’s sweeping tariffs—applied to nearly every country under an emergency powers statute—were unconstitutional. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts concluded that the authority to levy taxes rests with Congress and cannot be unilaterally exercised by the president. The decision effectively invalidated a cornerstone of Trump’s trade framework.
Undeterred, Trump said he would pivot to a narrower legal pathway. He has already signed an executive order authorizing a 10% tariff on imports worldwide, set to take effect Tuesday, the same day as his State of the Union address.
That order relies on a different statutory authority and limits the tariffs to 150 days unless Congress votes to extend them. On Saturday, Trump indicated he would raise that baseline rate to 15%, though the White House did not immediately clarify when a revised order would be signed.
In a post defending his new move, Trump said his actions followed “a thorough, detailed, and complete review” of what he called a “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision” by the court.
He added that his administration would, in the coming months, determine and implement what he described as “new and legally permissible Tariffs” to continue what he characterized as an “extraordinarily successful process” of strengthening the U.S. economy.
Beyond the temporary tariffs, Trump said his administration is also exploring additional import duties under other sections of federal trade law that require investigations by the Commerce Department. Those provisions could allow for more targeted tariffs tied to national security or unfair trade practices, though they typically involve procedural reviews and findings before implementation.
The Supreme Court’s decision represented a significant constitutional check on presidential authority. In ruling against Trump, the majority emphasized that while the executive branch holds broad power in foreign affairs, the Constitution assigns the power to tax to Congress.
The three dissenting justices argued that the president acted within the bounds of the emergency statute and that the court should have deferred to the executive branch’s interpretation.
Following the ruling, Trump lashed out at members of the majority, including two justices he appointed during his first term, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. At a news conference, he called the outcome “an embarrassment to their families,” an unusually personal critique of sitting justices.
Later posts singled out Gorsuch, Barrett and Roberts for criticism, while praising Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who authored a lengthy dissent. Trump also commended Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, who joined the dissent, portraying them as aligned with his broader economic vision.
Tariffs have been central to Trump’s economic doctrine. He has argued that import taxes correct longstanding trade imbalances, encourage domestic manufacturing and provide leverage in negotiations with foreign governments. He has also linked tariffs to broader policy goals, including combating drug trafficking and influencing geopolitical conflicts.
However, most economists maintain that tariffs are paid primarily by importers, with costs often passed on to American consumers and businesses through higher prices. Federal Treasury data shows that more than $133 billion had been collected under the emergency-powers tariffs as of December.
Trump has floated proposals to use that revenue to reduce the national debt or issue dividend-style payments to taxpayers, though no formal plan has been enacted. The Supreme Court’s decision did not address whether previously collected tariff revenues must be refunded or how ongoing collections should be treated.
Democratic lawmakers swiftly condemned Trump’s plan to raise tariffs to 15%. Members of the House Ways and Means Committee accused the president of increasing costs for American families in defiance of the court’s ruling. In a social media statement, they said that barely a day after the tariffs were declared illegal, Trump was seeking new ways to impose higher costs on consumers.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent critic of the president, also weighed in, arguing that the tariff escalation would harm working families and small businesses.
With the 10% tariffs poised to take effect and a potential increase to 15% under consideration, the administration now faces both legal and political tests. Congress could intervene to extend or block the temporary tariffs, while further court challenges are likely if the White House attempts to broaden its trade actions under alternative statutes.
The unfolding clash underscores a deeper debate over the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches in shaping U.S. trade policy. Even after the Supreme Court’s ruling, Trump’s determination to press forward ensures that tariffs will remain at the center of the nation’s economic and constitutional battles in the months ahead.
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