A federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily reinstated the sweeping tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, just one day after a lower court ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority in imposing them. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted an administrative stay of the U.S. Court of International Trade’s ruling, which had invalidated Trump’s use of emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to levy tariffs on imports from over 60 countries.
This stay reinstates Trump’s broad 10 percent tariffs on goods from nearly all U.S. trading partners, including 25 percent duties on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 20 percent tariff on Chinese products, which were justified by the administration as a response to national security concerns related to drug trafficking. The appeals court’s order will remain in effect while it considers the administration’s request for a longer suspension of the lower court’s decision, with the stay expected to last at least until mid-June.
Meanwhile, a separate federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued a preliminary injunction blocking tariff collection from two companies involved in a lawsuit, but temporarily paused that ruling to allow for appeal.
The Trump administration has vowed to continue defending the tariffs and has indicated it may seek emergency intervention from the Supreme Court to resolve the dispute. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed that the president acted within his legal authority.
The legal battle highlights ongoing debates over presidential powers in trade policy and the impact of these tariffs on the global economy.