Appeals Court Rules Trump’s Global Tariffs Are Unlawful

Appeals Court Rules Trump’s Global Tariffs Are Unlawful
President Donald Trump during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Aug. 26, 2025 (Jonathan Ernst - Reuters)

A divided federal appeals court ruled that most of President Donald Trump’s global tariffs were unlawful, holding that he exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). In a 7–4 decision on Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit largely affirmed a May ruling by the Court of International Trade (CIT) but left the tariffs in place while the case continues. The panel remanded for the CIT to reconsider the scope of relief in light of recent Supreme Court limits on broad, nationwide injunctions. The administration immediately highlighted that the levies remain operative during further review, and the opinion sets up parallel tracks: a likely petition to the Supreme Court and a lower-court reassessment of who, if anyone, is entitled to immediate injunctive relief.

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