12 states and businesses file suit challenging Trump’s economic emergency powers

RNE Network.

The US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Wednesday in two challenges to President Donald Trump’s authority to impose broad tariffs on nearly all imported goods into the United States.

The hearing could mark the most significant legal battle in Trump’s ongoing trade war, as the Court considers whether his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose duties is constitutional.

Several businesses, along with 12 US states, have challenged the tariffs, arguing that Trump exceeded his constitutional powers. They note that the authority to levy taxes and tariffs traditionally resides with Congress.

Three lower courts have already ruled against the administration, finding that IEEPA does not explicitly authorize the president to impose tariffs.

Trump has defended his administration’s tariff policies as a tool to balance global trade, pointing to years of high duties charged by other countries on US imports. He has argued that the tariffs have boosted US revenues and contributed to record highs in the stock market.

Following Wednesday’s arguments, the Supreme Court will have until June to issue a decision, after a thorough review and discussion of the case’s merits, which will culminate in a vote.

President Trump described the Supreme Court hearing as a “matter of life or death” for the United States. In a social media post, he stated that a favorable ruling would secure “tremendous, but fair, Financial and National Security.” He added, “Without it, we are virtually defenseless against other countries who have, for years, taken advantage of us.” Trump further noted that the stock market is consistently reaching record highs and that the US has never been more respected, attributing much of this to the economic security created by tariffs and the trade deals they have enabled.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed confidence on Tuesday in the administration’s legal arguments, stressing that President Trump’s tariff policies are essential for both national security and economic leverage.