US Supreme Court Again Delays Ruling on Trump’s Reciprocal Tariffs; Earliest Decision Expected February 20

Supreme Court Set for Four-Week Recess
Ruling on Tariff Authority Under IEEPA Expected by Late February

The United States Supreme Court did not issue a ruling on January 20 (local time) regarding the legality of the "reciprocal tariffs" policy implemented by the Donald Trump administration.

United States Supreme Court. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On its website that day, the United States Supreme Court released decisions on three cases, including a civil bankruptcy case, but the case challenging President Trump's authority to impose tariffs was not included in the list of rulings.

Bloomberg News reported, "The Supreme Court is about to enter a four-week recess," adding, "According to the usual schedule for announcing decisions, the next possible date for a ruling on the tariff policy is February 20." The report continued, "It appears that it will take at least another month before the lawsuit over one of President Trump's signature economic policies is resolved."

The Supreme Court is currently reviewing whether the Trump administration can exercise broad tariff-imposing authority based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). President Trump designated the United States' significant trade deficit as a national emergency and, on that basis, imposed high tariffs on various countries.

However, the courts of first and second instance ruled that such tariff measures exceeded the scope of presidential authority and were therefore illegal. The Supreme Court is now reviewing the case following the Trump administration's appeal.