Court Hears Challenge to Trump's 10% Import Tariffs

A three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York heard oral arguments on Friday over the legality of President Donald Trump's 10 percent tariffs on most global imports, imposed in late February after the Supreme Court invalidated his broader trade levies earlier that month.

The hearing, which lasted nearly three hours, focused on challenges brought by two dozen mostly Democratic-led states and several small businesses. The plaintiffs contend that Trump misused Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, a rarely invoked provision allowing temporary tariffs of up to 15 percent for 150 days to address severe balance-of-payments deficits or risks to the dollar's value. The tariffs took effect on February 24 and are set to expire on July 24 unless extended by Congress.

Trump turned to Section 122 shortly after the Supreme Court's February 20 ruling, which struck down his previous attempt to impose sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. That earlier effort had declared the U.S. trade deficit a national emergency, leading to double-digit duties on imports from dozens of countries throughout much of 2025. The high court found the...