The administration of US President Donald Trump has urgently appealed to the Supreme Court to preserve tariffs that have rattled international markets, warning that a lower court’s ruling has already damaged critical trade negotiations.
In a petition filed on Wednesday, Solicitor General John Sauer urged the justices to expedite the case, emphasizing the “enormous importance” of quickly reaffirming the president’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs under emergency economic powers.
The request follows a 7-4 decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which determined that Trump had exceeded his authority in using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify wide-ranging duties. However, the court allowed the tariffs to remain in effect until mid-October, granting the administration time to escalate the battle to the Supreme Court.
Since his return to office, Trump has invoked emergency economic powers to impose “reciprocal” tariffs of at least 10 percent on nearly all US trading partners, including steep rates on the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Canada, and China. He defended the move as necessary to counter unfair trade practices and curb the flow of drugs into the United States.
The appeals court’s ruling not only questioned Trump’s interpretation of IEEPA but also cast uncertainty over agreements struck with major trading partners. Analysts warn that billions of dollars in collected tariffs could be in jeopardy if the conservative-majority Supreme Court declines to uphold Trump’s measures.
In a declaration attached to the petition, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned that the ruling had weakened Washington’s “substantial negotiating leverage.” The solicitor general has requested oral arguments by early November, underscoring the urgency of the administration’s case.
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