Federal court orders removal of most Trump tariffs
Three judges at the federal Court of International Trade has ruled that almost all of the tariffs that US president, Donald Trump, announced on April 2 must be removed.
The court, which is located in New York, said on May 28 that the Trump administration did not have the authority to impose sweeping tariffs on almost all imports from almost all trading partners.
On April 2, which President Trump called ‘Liberation Day’, he said he was using executive power under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to use the tariffs to help rebuild the US economy after decades of being “looted by nations near and far”.
Twelve US states and five relatively small businesses filed complaints against the tariffs and, in its May 28 ruling, the Court of International Trade found in their favour.
It said its reading of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 was that the legislation does not “confer such unbounded authority” on the president. Because of this, it said it was setting aside the tariffs the plaintiffs had challenged.
The Trump administration immediately said it would appeal.
Image shows the Court of International Trade in Lower Manhattan.
