A U.S. trade court ruled against President Donald Trump’s 10-percent global tariff on Thursday, determining that the administration failed to justify the measure under the 1970s law used to implement it.
The 2-1 decision from the United States Court of International Trade specifically applies to the parties that brought the legal challenge. The court has ordered the government to implement the ruling within five days and directed that the affected importers be issued refunds.
President Trump introduced the temporary duty in February as a secondary measure after the Supreme Court invalidated a broader set of previous tariffs.
The administration defended the move by arguing that the 10-percent levy was necessary to address balance of payments deficits.
While these specific global duties were struck down, Trump’s sector-specific tariffs on aluminum, steel, and automobiles remain in place, as they were not impacted by the Supreme Court’s earlier intervention.
Currently, the tariff was slated to expire in late July unless Congress intervened. Meanwhile, U.S. officials are continuing to overhaul the national trade agenda, launching fresh investigations into dozens of trading partners.
These probes focus on industrial overcapacity and forced labor, which may serve as the foundation for future trade restrictions.