Trump Raises Global Tariff to 15% After Supreme Court Ruling

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would raise a temporary tariff on imports from all countries to 15 percent, up from 10 percent, the maximum level permitted under the law. The move follows a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that struck down his previous tariff program.

"I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10 per cent Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been 'ripping' the US off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15 per cent level," he wrote in a Truth Social post as reported by AsiaOne.

The move came less than 24 hours after Trump announced a blanket 10 percent tariff on Friday following the court’s decision. The ruling stated that the president had exceeded his authority when imposing a series of higher tariffs under an economic emergency law.

The new tariffs are based on a separate but untested provision known as Section 122, which allows tariffs of up to 15 percent but requires congressional approval to extend them beyond 150 days. No president has previously invoked Section 122, and its use could prompt further legal challenges.

U.S. trade experts and congressional staff are skeptical that the Republican-majority Congress will extend the tariffs, as polls show a growing number of Americans blaming tariffs for rising prices.

Trump Seeks Alternative Measures

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said he would use the 150-day period to pursue other tariffs that are "legally permissible".

The U.S. government intends to rely on two additional laws that permit import taxes on specific products or countries based on national security investigations or findings of unfair trade practices.

Section 122 tariffs include exemptions for certain products, including critical minerals, metals, and energy products, according to the White House.

Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official and senior vice president at the Asia Society think tank, said she was surprised Trump did not opt for the maximum Section 122 tariff on Friday. She added that the rapid changes underscore the uncertainty facing trading partners.

The Supreme Court decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, concluded that the law Trump used for most of his tariffs, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, did not grant the president the authority he claimed.

The 6-3 ruling emphasized that the power to impose customs duties rests with the U.S. Congress.

Roberts was joined by conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, both appointed by Trump, as well as the court’s three liberal justices.

Trump reacted angrily to the ruling, calling the majority justices "fools" and describing Gorsuch and Barrett in particular as "embarrassments," while vowing to continue his global trade war.

Some foreign leaders welcomed the decision.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday, as reported by Anadolu, that the ruling demonstrated the importance of checks and balances and the rule of law in a democracy.

Speaking at an annual agricultural event in Paris, Macron said, “It is not bad to have a Supreme Court and, therefore, the rule of law. It is good to have power and counterweights to power in democracies.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped the decision would ease the burden on German companies. He said he would use his upcoming visit to the United States to reiterate that "tariffs harm everyone".

“Trade Agreements Must Be Respected”

Trump has used tariffs, or the threat of tariffs, to secure trade deals with foreign countries.

After the court’s decision, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Fox News on Friday that countries must honor existing agreements even if those deals set tariff levels higher than the Section 122 rate.

Exports to the United States from countries such as Malaysia and Cambodia will continue to face negotiated tariffs of 19 percent, despite the lower universal rate, Greer said.

Indonesia’s chief negotiator for U.S. tariffs, Airlangga Hartarto, said the trade agreement between the two countries setting U.S. tariffs at 19 percent, signed on Friday, remains in effect despite the court ruling.

The decision could provide relief for countries such as Brazil, which have not negotiated lower tariffs with Washington and previously faced duties of 40 percent. Under Section 122, those tariffs could fall to 15 percent, at least temporarily.

With midterm elections in November approaching, Trump’s approval rating on economic management has continued to decline. A Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday showed that 34 percent of respondents approved of his handling of the economy, while 57 percent disapproved.

Affordability remains a top voter concern. The Democratic Party, which needs to flip three Republican-held seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in November to gain a majority, has blamed Trump’s tariffs for worsening cost-of-living pressures.

Read: Iran Rejects Trump's 32,000 Protest Death Claim

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google New