Trump lifts global tariff to 15% after US Supreme Court strikes down earlier trade regime

U.S. President Donald Trump has raised a temporary blanket tariff on all imports into the United States from 10 per cent to 15 per cent, the highest level permitted under Section 122 of U.S. trade law, following a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated his previous tariff programme.

Reuters reported on Sunday that the increase was announced less than 24 hours after Trump introduced a 10 per cent universal duty in response to the court’s decision.

On Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States found that the president had exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, rejecting the legal basis for much of his earlier trade policy.

The judgment, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, concluded that the emergency powers statute did not grant the authority claimed by the White House. He was joined by fellow conservatives Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett — both appointed by Trump — along with the court’s three liberal justices.

In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump confirmed the new rate would take effect immediately.

"I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been 'ripping' the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level," he wrote.

Section 122, a little-tested provision of trade law, permits the president to impose tariffs of up to 15 per cent for 150 days. Any extension beyond that period requires congressional approval.

No previous president has invoked the measure, and its use may prompt further legal challenges.

Trade specialists and congressional aides have expressed doubt that even a Republican-controlled Congress would vote to prolong the tariffs, citing opinion polls showing rising public concern over living costs and growing blame placed on import duties for higher prices.

The White House said the Section 122 tariffs include exemptions for certain products, including critical minerals, metals and energy goods.

Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official now serving as senior vice-president at the Asia Society think tank, said she was surprised the administration had not initially opted for the full 15 per cent rate.

She added that the rapid shift in policy underscored the uncertainty confronting America’s trading partners.

Trump reacted angrily to the court’s ruling, branding the justices in the majority "fools" and describing Gorsuch and Barrett in particular as "embarrassments", while vowing to press ahead with his global trade agenda.

Foreign leaders welcomed the decision. French President Emmanuel Macron said the ruling demonstrated the importance in democracies of counterweights to executive authority and adherence to the rule of law.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he expected the judgment would ease pressure on German businesses and pledged to reiterate during an upcoming visit to Washington that "tariffs harm everyone".

Despite the setback, the administration signalled it would pursue alternative legal avenues. In his social media post, Trump said he would use the 150-day window to develop other "legally permissible" tariffs.

The White House is expected to rely on two additional statutes that allow targeted import duties following investigations into national security concerns or unfair trade practices.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Fox News that trade agreements already concluded with foreign governments must be honoured, even where they stipulate rates above the new 15 per cent ceiling.

Exports from countries including Malaysia and Cambodia will continue to face negotiated tariffs of 19 per cent, Mr Greer said. Indonesia’s chief negotiator, Airlangga Hartarto, confirmed that a bilateral agreement signed on Friday — also setting a 19 per cent rate — remains in force.

The court’s decision may, however, benefit countries such as Brazil, which had not secured a deal to reduce its 40 per cent tariff rate and could now see duties fall to 15 per cent, at least temporarily.

With November’s midterm elections approaching, Trump’s approval rating on economic management has slipped.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded this week found 34 per cent of respondents approved of his handling of the economy, while 57 per cent disapproved.

Democrats, who require a net gain of three Republican-held seats in the House of Representatives to secure a majority, have accused the president’s tariff policy of worsening the cost-of-living crisis, an issue that remains uppermost for many American voters. - February 22, 2026