The US Court of International Trade blocks Trump from imposing sweeping import tariffs under an emergency-powers law, finding Trump exceeded his authority

A federal trade court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law.

Associated Press 2025-05-29 Lindsay Whitehurst

Context & Ripple Effects

The ruling is an early legal check on the administration's use of emergency authority for broad trade measures. Its practical force was immediately contested when an appeals court temporarily paused the lower-court tariff ruling the following day.

Later related coverage describes the de minimis exemption remaining suspended even after the Supreme Court overturned most 2025 tariffs, suggesting the dispute is as much about which legal tools remain available as about the original tariff action.

First-order effects

The Court of International Trade's decision bars the administration from using the cited emergency-powers law for the sweeping import tariffs at issue, unless the ruling is stayed or reversed.
Importers facing those measures gain an immediate legal basis to challenge their application, while the administration must defend its authority on appeal.

Second-order effects

The appellate pause creates near-term uncertainty for import-dependent businesses: the legality of the tariff program is unresolved even though the trial-level court rejected its statutory basis.
The administration may place greater weight on narrower trade and border mechanisms, a direction consistent with the later continued suspension of the de minimis exemption.

Third-order effects

If courts continue to reject expansive readings of emergency authority, trade policy will be more constrained by the specific powers Congress has delegated rather than by presidential emergency declarations.
The episode could make litigation a more central determinant of tariff durability, with companies and trading partners planning around stays and appeals rather than announcements alone.

The trend: This is one data point in a broader contest over how far presidents can use emergency powers to reshape trade policy without new congressional authorization.

Discussion

@amyklobuchar.com Amy Klobuchar on bluesky
Three judges—appointed by Presidents Trump, Obama, and Reagan—are restoring sanity and stability to our trade policies. Instead of raising costs by nearly $3k per family, we should be working to bring relief to the American people who have faced higher costs and chaos. — www.a…
@realmartyt7 Marty Taylor on bluesky
apnews.com/article/trum... Federal court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers law. Of course Trump will ignore the ruling and hope SCOTUS bails him out again. But this is a good to start to reining in Trump's insane trade policy including the tari…
@markwarner Senator Mark Warner on bluesky
The courts are saving the Trump administration from itself and saving American businesses and families from these cruel taxes. If we know anything about this admin, though, they'll stop at nothing to inflict more cruelty and bad policy. I'll keep fighting their chaos. [embedde…
@keithboykin Keith Boykin on bluesky
A federal trade court has blocked Trump from imposing tariffs. Trump claims he has the power to bypass Congress and impose tariffs because US trade deficits are a national emergency. But the law requires an “unusual and extraordinary threat,” and the US has run a trade deficit …
@brunojnavarro Bruno J. Navarro on bluesky
The plaintiffs argue that the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPPA) does not authorize the use of tariffs. — Even if it did, they say, the trade deficit does not meet the law's requirement that an emergency be triggered only by an “unusual and extraordinary t…
@lizagoitein Elizabeth Goitein on x
Last night, a three-judge panel of the Court of International Trade unanimously held that Trump's use of emergency powers to bypass Congress and impose worldwide tariffs is illegal. It's a tightly reasoned decision that reaches the right outcome. 1/18 https://apnews.com/...
@philwmagness Phil Magness on x
The Trump admin wanted all of the tariff lawsuits moved to the US Court of International Trade because they believed that it would be the most receptive to their arguments. They even succeeded in moving one of them to the USCIT earlier this week. Turns out they miscalculated.
@micah_erfan Micah Erfan on x
BREAKING: The US Court of International Trade just ruled all of Trump's “Liberation Day” tariffs are illegal. [image]
@richardhanania Richard Hanania on x
The US Court of International Trade struck down not just the liberation day tariffs, but the fentanyl tariffs, on the ground they do not directly address the declared emergency. Trump can't impose tariffs just to give himself leverage. A total loss for the administration. [image]
@gtconway3d George Conway on x
This administration was already a joke in so many ways. But the USCIT's decision striking down Trump's tariffs could not make him look more hapless.
@typesfast Ryan Petersen on x
The U.S. Court of International Trade just ruled that the Trump administration lacks the authority to impose tariffs. Now what?
@jkenney Jason Kenney on x
YUGE win for the rule of law, common sense, and prosperity! The US Court of International Trade has ruled unanimously that President Trump's most wide-ranging tariffs are illegal. Some of his industry-specific tariffs effecting Canada (eg on steel, aluminum, autos) were not
@geiger_capital @geiger_capital on x
Scott Bessent seeing the US Court of International Trade rule Trump's tariffs illegal [video]
@charliekirk11 Charlie Kirk on x
🚨BREAKING: In a sweeping new ruling, the U.S. Court of International Trade has just blocked President Trump's Liberation Day tariffs, saying that authority is with Congress. With activist judges, what is even the point of having a president?!...
@ilyasomin Ilya Somin on x
US Court of International Trade just issued decision in case against Trump tariffs filed by @LJCenter and me. All “Liberation Day"/IEEPA tariffs ruled illegal, and blocked by injunction! see link for opinion. I will have much more to say soon: https://www.cit.uscourts.gov/ ...
@reditlhabi Redi Tlhabi on x
The US Court of International Trade has just ruled that Trump's “Liberation Day” tariffs are illegal. The power to impose tariffs lies with Congress. Trump probably knew this but also knew that YOU, gullible fans, would salivate. Upending global trade for optics. A shitshow. [ima…
@tristansnell Tristan Snell on x
BREAKING: COURT BLOCKS TRUMP TARIFFS Trump LOSES in US Court of International Trade — which ruled that Trump exceeded his authorized power to jack up tariffs Administration has 10 days to halt tariffs MAJOR loss for Trump — and victory for lower costs for all Americans
@josephpolitano @josephpolitano on x
for the record I think the ruling against Trump's tariffs is obviously correct but I don't have a ton of faith it will survive the rest of the judicial system
@sonalibasak Sonali Basak on x
*TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT WILL APPEAL TARIFF RULING A reminder to watch this play out in courts and beware of the volatility that surrounds it. Also a reminder that rule of law and the American court system as a balance is a huge reason investors flock to the US — if there i…
@azagmayes @azagmayes on x
Big news! The US Court of International Trade just struck down Trump's illegal tariff scheme as invalid under IEEPA. The president does not have the authority to implement tariffs unilaterally. Glad to have co-led this case with Oregon to protect Arizona families and small biz. […
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