Trump Says He Will Raise U.S. Global Tariff Rate to 15% After Supreme Court Ruling
By skika reporter
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would raise a temporary across-the-board tariff on imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum level allowed under a separate trade law, a day after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff program.
The announcement followed a 6-3 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, which found that Trump had exceeded his authority when he imposed an array of higher tariff rates under an economic emergency statute.
Trump had initially responded to Friday’s decision by announcing a 10% universal tariff. On Saturday, however, he said he would immediately increase the rate to 15% under Section 122 of U.S. trade law — a rarely used provision that allows temporary tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days, after which congressional approval is required to extend them.
No president has previously invoked Section 122, and its use could invite further legal challenges. Trade experts and congressional aides have expressed skepticism that the Republican-majority Congress would vote to extend the tariffs beyond the 150-day window, particularly as public opinion surveys show rising concern over higher consumer prices linked to import duties.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump defended the move.
“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.
The White House said the Section 122 tariffs include exemptions for certain products, including critical minerals, metals and energy products.
Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official and now senior vice president at the Asia Society think tank, said Trump’s rapid shift from 10% to 15% highlighted the uncertainty facing U.S. trading partners.
Trump has indicated he will use the 150-day period to pursue additional “legally permissible” tariffs. The administration is expected to rely on other statutes that allow import taxes on specific products or countries following investigations into national security threats or unfair trade practices.
Following the court’s decision, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Fox News that countries that had already negotiated trade agreements with Washington must honor those commitments, even if they include higher tariff rates than the new universal rate.
Under those arrangements, exports from countries such as Malaysia and Cambodia would continue to face negotiated tariffs of 19%, despite the lower 15% across-the-board rate.
The ruling could benefit countries like Brazil, which had not secured a separate deal with Washington and had faced tariffs as high as 40%. Under the new temporary regime, Brazil’s rate could fall to 15%, at least for the 150-day period.
Trump, who has repeatedly described tariffs as a cornerstone of his economic strategy, has sharply criticized individual justices and maintained that he retains broad authority over trade policy.
However, his approval rating on economic management has declined in recent months. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released earlier this week found that 34% of respondents approved of his handling of the economy, while 57% disapproved.
