Chicago – February 20, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that President Donald Trump violated federal law by unilaterally imposing sweeping “emergency” tariffs across the globe, delivering a major setback to the centerpiece of his economic agenda.
In a 6–3 decision, the justices held that Trump exceeded his authority under the emergency powers statute he invoked, concluding that the Constitution clearly assigns Congress – not the president – the power to levy taxes and tariffs.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said the emergency law Trump relied on does not grant “unbounded tariff authority” to the executive branch, even in the face of claimed economic or national security crises.
The ruling invalidates broad “reciprocal” tariffs imposed on nearly all U.S. trading partners and could force the administration to unwind parts of its trade strategy while exploring narrower tariff tools authorized under other laws. Conservative justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh dissented, arguing the tariffs were permissible under existing statute.
