President Trump made clear Saturday that no court ruling would derail his trade agenda, announcing a 15% tariff on all global imports and vowing that his administration would press forward until a lasting, court-proof framework was in place. The announcement, made on Truth Social, came hours after the Supreme Court dealt his signature trade policy a major legal blow.
Using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — an untested provision allowing up to 15% tariffs for 150 days — Trump framed the move as both legally sound and morally necessary. He cast foreign nations as longtime exploiters of American markets and described the new tariff as the logical continuation of his America-first economic vision.
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling Friday found that Trump’s IEEPA-based tariffs required congressional approval he never sought. Trump called the decision “ridiculous” and launched a series of withering personal attacks on the justices who ruled against him, targeting his own nominees Barrett and Gorsuch with particular ferocity while praising dissenters Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh.
On the world stage, the reaction was anxious and pointed. Germany’s Chancellor Merz described tariff volatility as “poison” and announced he would travel to Washington with a joint European proposal. France’s Macron defended the Supreme Court’s right to check executive power. The UK, which had struck a 10% deal with the US, now finds that arrangement overtaken by the new 15% baseline.
With approximately $130 billion in tariffs already collected — 90% of it paid by American consumers and businesses — the new rate promises to deepen domestic financial strain. Exemptions apply to critical minerals, metals, pharmaceuticals, and USMCA-compliant goods. Sector-specific tariffs on steel, aluminum, lumber, and autos remain fully operative regardless of the court’s ruling.