(Image source from: hnews24online.com)

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he would introduce new global tariffs, imposing a 10 percent additional charge on top of the current ones, just hours after the US Supreme Court invalidated his previous extensive tariff orders. In response to the court's decision, Trump expressed frustration, stating that the ruling would not interrupt his trade plans and claimed he now had “better” options to generate income. “Starting now, all the tariffs related to national security under Section 232 and the current Section 301 tariffs will stay in place… Today, I will sign an order to add a 10% global tariff under Section 122 in addition to our usual tariffs,” he stated. The global tariff under Section 122, which is referred to as balance-of-payments tariffs, can last for up to 150 days before needing approval from Congress to continue. “We have other options, excellent options. It could mean more income; we will collect more money,” he remarked, adding, “I can raise prices now.”

Trump sharply criticized the Supreme Court, labeling the verdict as "very disappointing" and accused some justices of being cowardly. “I feel embarrassed by some members of the court, truly embarrassed, for not having the bravery to do what is best for our country,” he declared. He also claimed that the ruling was swayed by foreign interests and mentioned that other nations were rejoicing over the decision. “The court has been influenced by outside interests and a political movement that is much smaller than most people imagine,” Trump stated. “They’re celebrating now, but their celebration won’t last long. ” Earlier that day, the Supreme Court issued a significant blow to Trump’s tariff strategy, ruling that his administration's global tariffs were applied without proper legal authority, a judgment that could lead to the US government facing refund claims amounting to tens of billions of dollars.

In a 6-3 ruling, the court decided that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not give the president the power to impose extensive tariffs on his own. The 1977 law permits the government to manage specific international economic activities during a national emergency, but it does not allow for broad tariff measures, the court concluded. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh disagreed. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, noted that Congress has historically assigned tariff-setting responsibilities in “clear terms and with strict restrictions. ” He cautioned that permitting the president to utilize IEEPA for sweeping tariffs would be a “significant expansion” of executive power.