Court Rules Trump Overstepped on ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs, Orders Halt

The U.S. Court of International Trade threw a monkey wrench into President Donald Trump's global trade war Wednesday, ruling the majority of his sweeping import tariffs must be halted for the time being.

A panel of three judges, one appointed by Ronald Reagan, another by Barack Obama and the third by Trump, ruled unanimously that Trump’s use of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act to slap import levies on dozens of countries was illegal.

The Trump administration is expected to appeal and may also seek a stay of the ruling or ask the Supreme Court to consider the matter.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said: “The court’s ruling is a victory not just for Oregon, but for working families, small businesses and everyday Americans.”

"President Trump’s sweeping tariffs were unlawful, reckless, and economically devastating,” said Rayfield, who was one of the lead plaintiffs in the case. “They triggered retaliatory measures, inflated prices on essential goods, and placed an unfair burden on American families, small businesses and manufacturers.”

The president has other laws available to him to impose tariffs and also Congress can do the same. But Trump wanted to establish the concept of an emergency to pursue his tariff-focused economic agenda. However, the reasons for the tariffs have varied from purely economic matters to border security, drug trafficking and other issues.