Donald Trump. Credit line: Will Oliver – Pool via CNP / Zuma Press / Profimedia
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would increase to 15% the global tariff he had announced after the US Supreme Court's ruling overturning part of his tariffs, a decision that the Republican leader of the White House strongly criticized.
“As President of the United States of America, I will raise, effective immediately, the 10% global tariff applied to countries, including many that have 'robbed' the US for decades, to the fully permissible and legally tested level of 15,” Trump announced on Saturday in a social media post, as quoted by Bloomberg.
The US Supreme Court on Friday struck down tariffs imposed by the Trump administration through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), ruling that the way it interpreted it violated congressional powers, according to Reuters.
The new tariff, imposed by a lever that had not been used before
In a press conference Friday after the court's ruling, which he sharply criticized, Trump said he had tools other than IEEPA at his disposal for tariff policy and announced a 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1975.
“The court said I can't charge a single dollar from any country under the IEEPA (…), I suppose to protect other countries. This must have been done to protect those other countries, certainly not the United States of America, which they should be interested in defending. But I'm allowed to stop any trade or business with the same country. In other words, I can destroy trade, I can destroy country, I can embargo, I can do whatever I want, but I can't charge a dollar,” he said. Trump said ironically.
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Section 122 had not been used before, so there is no court interpretation of the text yet, according to The Guardian.
This leverage comes with two clear constraints: Tariff measures taken by the president are capped at a maximum of 15% and can be maintained for no more than 150 days.
The White House said Mexico and Canada would be exempt from the new temporary tax. Certain foods, such as beef and tomatoes, as well as essential minerals are also exempt.
