Former President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to international trading partners, threatening severe economic retaliation against nations attempting to exploit last week’s Supreme Court decision that curtailed his tariff-imposing authority. Through his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump declared that any country engaging in what he termed ‘games’ regarding the judicial ruling would face substantially higher import duties than previously negotiated.
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision struck down Trump’s use of emergency economic powers to implement country-specific tariffs, dealing a significant blow to his economic nationalist agenda. In response, Trump has pivoted to alternative legislative mechanisms to announce new 15 percent duties on imports, asserting his presidential authority to bypass Congressional approval for tariff implementation.
Trump’s social media statements emphasized his unconventional interpretation of the court ruling, claiming it actually granted him ‘far more powers and strength’ through licensing authorities that could enable aggressive trade measures against foreign nations. This stance contradicts legal experts’ reading of the decision as a limitation on executive trade powers.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has meanwhile called for international partners to maintain existing tariff agreements with Washington, indicating potential tension between diplomatic channels and Trump’s confrontational approach. The development signals continued turbulence in global trade relations as the former president challenges both judicial and international trading norms.