The US Supreme Court has ruled that the “Trump Tariffs” announced by President Trump last year are unlawful. Chief Justice John Roberts ruled that the IEEPA (1977) act used by Trump did not give the President the authority to impose tariffs. The court stated that there was no evidence of an “economic emergency” that would allow the use of IEEPA.
Trump used the IEEPA to impose retaliatory tariffs on all countries from April 2, 2025, with Malaysia initially being subject to a 24% tariff before being reduced to 19% after he attended the ASEAN summit in October. Since the Trump Tariffs were introduced, the US government has taken $175 billion that must now be returned.
Immediately after the Supreme Court’s ruling, President Trump said it was a disappointing decision. He again said that tariffs are important for national security and the economy before announcing a new 10% global tariff using a presidential order that took effect immediately.
Since the Trump Tariffs were announced, they have had a major impact on the world economy. Shares of major technology companies fell sharply and countries that depend on exports to the United States, such as Malaysia, were the worst affected.
