A US court ruled on Thursday that the temporary 10% customs tariffs imposed in February by President Donald Trump are illegal. The tariffs had been introduced to replace earlier, broad and variable additional duties that were struck down by the US Supreme Court.
According to the ruling issued by the US Court of International Trade (CIT), the federal government cannot rely on a 1974 law to rebalance US trade relations by imposing blanket tariffs indiscriminately.
The decision represents a fresh setback for the Republican president, who since the first day of his second term in January 2025 placed customs tariffs at the core of his policy agenda, frequently threatening even harsher measures to secure concessions from trading partners, not exclusively economic.
Under the ruling of the three‑judge panel, decided by a 2–1 majority, the additional 10% duties do not comply with existing legislation. As a result, the three companies that filed the case are no longer subject to those additional costs.
The court also ordered the US government to reimburse them, with interest, for the tariffs improperly paid over the past two months.
Although the ruling, which is subject to appeal, currently applies only to the three claimants, it sets a legal precedent that could allow many other companies to challenge President Trump’s tariffs in court.
Source: CNA
