In a rapid legal turnaround, a U.S. federal appeals court on Thursday reinstated former President Donald Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs, just one day after a lower court blocked them, calling the measures unconstitutional. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted a temporary stay to review the government’s appeal, with briefs due by June 9.
The initial blow came from the U.S. Court of International Trade, which ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority by invoking emergency powers to impose wide-ranging tariffs without congressional approval. The decision, if upheld, could drastically limit the scope of presidential power in trade policy.
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Trump’s tariffs target goods from most U.S. trading partners, with additional duties on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China—nations he accused of contributing to the fentanyl crisis. While the administration insists it can pursue other legal avenues, critics say the ruling exposes deep flaws in how presidential trade powers are currently wielded.
The legal back-and-forth has injected uncertainty into international trade negotiations and rattled financial markets. Meanwhile, small businesses behind the original lawsuit argue that these tariffs threaten their operations and global supply chains.
With broader legal battles still unfolding, and the possibility of a Supreme Court intervention looming, Trump’s tariff policy remains a volatile and unresolved flashpoint in America’s global economic strategy.
