In a 6-3 ruling, drafted by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court found that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not give Trump the power to impose tariffs unilaterally. giving a gaffe to a pillar of his economic policy upon his return to the White House.

With this conclusion, the Supreme Court upheld a decision of a lower court of the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals that also declared all levies illegal.

The court battle over Trump’s tariffs marked the first time that the Supreme Court assessed the merits of one of the flagship policies of the Republican’s second term.

The highest judicial body has allowed the president to temporarily implement many of his plans as legal proceedings progress, but his verdict invalidating Trump’s global tariffs is, so far, the most significant defeat of this new term in office.

The Supreme Court is also considering whether to allow the president to fire officials from independent federal agencies without cause, and will hear arguments in April about the legality of Trump’s plan to eliminate citizenship by birth.

While the ruling restricts the president’s ability to use the aforementioned law, it does not prevent him from imposing tariffs under different trade authorities. The use of these measures has been an instrument of pressure for the current administration.

abo/ro/dfm