Court Rules Trump Misused National Security Law for Global Tariffs

A federal appeals court has determined that Donald Trump misused a national security law to impose tariffs on countries around the world, ruling the action illegal. The decision strikes a blow against the ex-president’s tactic of framing economic issues as national security threats to justify unilateral action.
The court’s judgment focused on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which it said was inappropriately invoked. The ruling states that the law, designed to counter threats like state-sponsored terrorism, was not intended by Congress to be a tool for managing trade deficits or pressuring allies on economic terms.
The verdict destabilizes the network of trade arrangements that the Trump administration built. These deals, often involving quotas and other restrictions, were accepted by foreign governments to avoid the tariffs. With the legal basis of those tariffs now nullified, the agreements themselves are weakened.
The case is now on a direct path to the Supreme Court. The central question will be whether a president can define “national emergency” broadly enough to include economic conditions like a trade deficit. The outcome will have profound consequences for the balance of power between the White House and Congress on trade policy.