Last week, the US Supreme Court delayed its decision on whether President Donald Trump exceeded his presidential powers by using emergency laws to impose sweeping import tariffs from trading partners including India and China. Now, all eyes are on SCOTUS — as it prepares to hand down its next ruling — with major legal battles underway, including a test of the legality of Trump’s tariff regime.
Trump claimed it would be a “complete mess” if the Supreme Court overturned his tariffs — a remark that signaled his concern about the upcoming decision.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision should determine whether Trump acted within his legal authority as president and whether the tariffs can legally stand.
- The White House said officials would explore alternative avenues if the court did not rule in their favor. According to a BBC report, it could include existing legislation that allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days.
What are the chances that SCOTUS will declare the tariffs illegal?
Several reports have mentioned that the tariffs will be ruled unconstitutional, at least in part, citing experts.
A Business Times report says 27% of traders believe the US Supreme Court will side with Trump’s decision, while the remaining 73% are betting against it, citing Polymarket, a blockchain-based prediction platform.
What time is the US Supreme Court ruling today?
The US Supreme Court is set to issue its decisions at around 10:00 AM ET, today, Wednesday, at 8:30 PM IST, the same day.
However, the court does not announce in advance what decisions it intends to issue. It issued one decision last Friday, but did not act on the tariff case.
What Is IEEPA – The Heart of the Tariff Case?
Trump has imposed blanket tariffs on almost all of America’s trading partners – citing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The IEEPA is a 1977 law that allows the US president to regulate economic transactions during a declared national emergency. The Trump administration has argued that persistent trade deficits, unfair trade practices and supply chain vulnerabilities constitute an economic emergency.
U.S. importers and trade associations pushed back, arguing that the IEEPA does not give the U.S. president the reins to levy broad import tariffs—only Congress can do that under the U.S. Constitution.
Last year, lower courts already ruled against the government, ruling that the emergency law had been stretched beyond its intended purpose. However, the tariffs remained in effect until the administration appealed.
