Femi Ashekun/
In a significant legal blow to President Donald Trump’s global trade strategy, the U.S. Court of International Trade has invalidated his controversial “liberation day” tariff plan.
The ruling challenges the president’s authority and raises questions about the future of his aggressive trade policies.
The court ruled that Trump overstepped his legal powers by invoking emergency economic powers to impose sweeping tariffs on several nations last month.
Declaring the executive orders “contrary to law,” the court stated they “exceed any authority granted to the President to regulate importation by means of tariffs.”
The decision marks a pivotal moment in the trade wars Trump initiated early in his presidency. The ruling, even if appealed, bolsters opposition to the tariffs among corporate leaders, foreign governments, and U.S. lawmakers who have been advocating for their repeal.
Alan Beattie, a leading trade analyst, suggested that this decision could embolden U.S. trading partners to resist Trump’s tariff policies. He argued that the ruling underscores the limitations of presidential authority in global economic matters.
Meanwhile, the U.K. plans to engage in talks with the U.S. next week to expedite a bilateral trade pact.
This development adds urgency to the administration’s efforts to stabilise its trade agenda amid mounting legal and diplomatic challenges.
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