U.S. Supreme Court rejects Trump’s global tariffs

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down on Friday (February 20, 2026) President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs that he pursued under ​a law meant for use in national emergencies, rejecting one of his most contentious assertions of his authority in a ruling with major implications for the global economy.

The justices, in a 6-3 ruling, ‌upheld a lower court’s decision that the Republican president’s use of this 1977 law exceeded his authority. The Supreme Court reached its ​conclusion in a legal challenge by businesses affected by the tariffs and 12 U.S. states, most of them Democratic-governed, against Mr. Trump’s unprecedented use of this ⁠law to unilaterally impose the
import taxes.

Mr. Trump has leveraged tariffs – taxes on imported goods – as a key economic and foreign policy tool.

They have been central to a global trade war that Mr. Trump initiated after he began his second term as president, one that has alienated trading partners, affected financial markets and caused global economic uncertainty.