US Court Hears Challenge to Trump Emergency Tariffs

President Donald Trump's sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs, imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by declaring a national emergency due to long-standing trade deficits, are facing significant legal challenges in the U.S. Court of International Trade. Small businesses represented by the Liberty Justice Center argue that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs and that the trade deficits do not constitute a genuine emergency, claiming the tariffs exceed constitutional authority since only Congress can levy taxes. The court is grappling with whether there are judicially manageable standards to evaluate the president's emergency declaration, with judges questioning how to define an "unusual and extraordinary threat." The Trump administration contends that IEEPA grants the necessary authority and that the emergency declaration is not subject to judicial review. These lawsuits highlight broader concerns about executive power limits and could have major implications for U.S. trade policy and the ongoing trade war. Additionally, the Supreme Court's upcoming consideration of the scope of judicial review over executive actions could influence the outcome of these cases.