In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration were unconstitutional.
Within days, President Trump announced new tariffs would go into effect immediately.
The U.S. Court of International Trade has ruled that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 are not authorized by law.
“This is a huge victory for taxpayers, for consumers frustrated by high prices, and for the separation of powers established in the U.S. Constitution. The power to impose taxes and tariffs rests with Congress, not the president,” said Brian Reilly, director of the National Taxpayers Union’s Free Trade Initiative.
The Section 122 tariffs were promulgated on February 20, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
In addition to legality, there is also the high cost to consumers that many have pointed to.
In addition to NTU, another group, We Pay the Tariffs, estimates that new tariffs imposed after the Supreme Court ruling cost consumers about $8.3 billion in March alone.
NTU’s Brian Riley said the Trump administration’s recent tariff hikes will continue to burden Americans.
“Tariffs undermine the Trump administration’s affordability goals. Rather than continue to impose tariffs based on questionable interpretations of the law, NTU urges the administration to recalibrate its approach and pursue trade policy based on reciprocal, zero-tariff trade,” Riley said.
