NEW YORK (AP) — This Friday the highest court of the United States annulled some of the most extensive tariffs the president ordered Donald Trump. With six votes in favor and three against, the Supreme Court determined that the president exceeded his authority when using a emergency powers law to justify new taxes on goods from almost all countries in the world.
Trump has launched a barrage of new tariffs over the past year. Despite Friday’s ruling, many levies on different sectors remain in force, and the president has already said that will resort to other options to impose more import taxesincluding a plan to apply a new global tariff of 10%. But the Supreme Court’s decision invalidates a core set of tariffs implemented by the Trump administration through the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977.
The IEEPA authorizes the president to broadly regulate commerce following a declaration of a national emergency. Over the years, presidents have resorted to this law dozens of times, often to impose sanctions on other nations. But Trump was the first to use it to implement tariffs.
Below, a review of the tariffs (now canceled) that the president implemented with the use of the IEEPA, and other taxes that are still in force.
“Liberation Day” Tariffs
In the first months of his term, Trump used the IEEPA to order taxes on imports from almost every country in the world. On April 2, a date he called “Liberation Day,” he imposed “reciprocal” tariffs of up to 50% on goods from dozens of nations — and a 10% base tax on virtually everyone else.
The 10% tax came into effect at the beginning of April. But most of the higher Liberation Day levies were delayed by several months, and many rates were eventually adjusted — in some cases, following new “framework” agreements. Most of the tariffs went into effect on August 7.
The national emergency that, according to Trump’s arguments, supported these tariffs, was the significant gap between what the United States sells and what it buys from the rest of the world. Despite this, goods from countries with which the United States maintains a trade surplus were also subject to taxes.
Among the main trading partners affected by the Liberation Day tariffs are South Korea, Japan and the European Union, which together export to the United States a wide range of products such as electronics, automobiles and automotive parts, as well as pharmaceuticals. After separate trade talks, Trump’s rates on most goods stood at 15% for the European Union, Japan and South Korea before Friday. But just last month, Trump threatened to raise tariffs on certain South Korean products to 25% — and countries around the world still face sector-specific tariffs that are not based on the IEEPA.
Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China
At the start of his second term, Trump used the IEEPA to impose new tariffs on the three major business partners from the United States: Mexico, Canada y China.
To justify these tariffs, Trump declared a national emergency based on illegal immigration and the trafficking of drugs such as fentanyl and the chemical precursors for its production. The levies were unveiled in early February 2025, but they took effect gradually — and were sometimes delayed, reduced, or increased through further retaliation.
Before Friday’s decision, the “traffic tariffs” on Canadian and Mexican imports were from 35% and 25%, respectivelyfor goods that are not part of the trade agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) in 2020. China, for its part, faced a 10% tariff related to fentanyl, half of what Trump imposed at the beginning of last year. Chinese goods also faced extremely high tariffs following the Liberation Day announcement, but rates have since been lowered under trade negotiations.
Major U.S. imports from China include cell phones and other electronic devices, as well as clothing, toys and appliances. Meanwhile, Canada and Mexico are some of the main vehicle and auto parts suppliers. Canada is also the largest supplier of crude oil to the United States. And Mexico is a key exporter of vegetables and beverages, among other products.
Tariffs to Brazil for the Bolsonaro trial
Trump also used the IEEPA last summer to impose significant tariffs on Brazilian imports, citing the country’s policies and the criminal case against former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Brazil was already facing Liberation Day’s 10% base rate. Tariffs linked to Bolsonaro added another 40%, for a total levy of 50% on many products.
In reality, the United States has maintained a consistent trade surplus with Brazil over the years. But the country’s main exports include manufactured goods, crude oil and agricultural products such as soybeans and sugar.
Tariffs on India for the purchase of Russian oil
India has also faced additional tariffs under the IEEPA. After Liberation Day, Trump ordered a 25% levy on Indian imports—and later added another 25% for the Asian nation’s purchase of Russian oil—also citing the emergency powers law—bringing the total to 50%.
But both nations reached a trade framework agreement earlier this month. Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil, and that he planned to reduce tariffs on India to 18%. India, for its part, stressed that it would “eliminate or reduce tariffs” on all US industrial goods and on a wide range of agricultural products.
India’s major exports to the United States include pharmaceuticals, precious stones, clothing and textiles.
What other tariffs are still in effect?
Even though the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s sweeping tariffs under the IEEPA, most countries still face high tariffs. US levies on specific sectors.
Citing threats to national security, Trump has used another law — Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 — to order levies on steelhe aluminumlos vehicleshe copper and the wood worldwide. In September it began implementing additional tariffs under Section 232: kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets and upholstered furniture.
Amid pressure to contain rising prices, Trump has recently reversed some of his tariffs. Beyond the trade framework agreements, this has included add exemptions to specific levies y eliminate taxes to import for goods such as coffee, tropical fruit and beef.
Even so, Trump has threatened new sectoral levies. And after Friday’s decision, he announced that he would sign an executive order to enact a 10% global tariff — using another federal law, known as Section 122. Those levies would be limited to just 150 days, unless extended by Congress.
READ: Trump considers the Court’s ruling against his tariffs ‘deeply disappointing’
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