Donald Trump's Global Tariffs Illegal : US Supreme Court Deals Major Blow to President

In a significant development, the US Supreme Court on Friday ruled that President Donald Trump violated federal law when he unilaterally imposed sweeping tariffs on several countries, marking a major setback to Trump’s aggressive trade policies with wide-ranging implications for the global economy.

Companies have collectively paid billions in tariffs to the US government. Associated Press reported that several companies, including warehouse chain Costco, have already lined up for refunds in court. It said dissenting judge Brett Kavanaugh noted that the refunds process could be complicated.

"The Court says nothing today about whether, and if so, how, the Government should go about returning the billions of dollars that it has collected from importers. But that process is likely to be a 'mess', as was acknowledged at oral argument," Justice Kavanaugh wrote in the dissent note.

India was among the first countries affected by Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs announced on April 2, 2025. With the punitive tariffs imposed for buying Russian oil, the rate reached 50%, which was the highest faced by any country. It was only in January this year that Trump announced that the tariffs would be brought down to 18% as India and the US finalised a trade deal.

The White House announced that US President Donald Trump will hold a news briefing this afternoon following the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring his tariffs illegal.According to sources familiar with the matter, Trump became enraged Friday morning after learning of the decision, reported CNN.United States President Donald Trump expressed strong displeasure at the Supreme Court on Friday after it struck down his sweeping global tariff regime, calling the majority verdict "a disgrace" during a private meeting with governors, a person familiar with the president’s reaction told AP.