BBC News: A US federal court has blocked President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, in a major blow to a key part of his economic policies.
The Court of International Trade ruled that an emergency law invoked by the White House does not give the president unilateral authority to impose tariffs on nearly every country.
The Manhattan-based court said the US Constitution gives Congress exclusive powers to regulate commerce with other nations and this is not superseded by the president’s remit to safeguard the economy.
Within minutes of the ruling the Trump administration lodged an appeal.
The court also blocked a separate set of levies the Trump administration imposed on China, Mexico and Canada since returning to the White House, in response to what it said was the unacceptable flow of drugs and illegal immigrants into the US.
“It is not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency,” White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai said in a statement.
“President Trump pledged to put America First, and the Administration is committed to using every lever of executive power to address this crisis and restore American Greatness,” he added.
The lawsuit, filed by the nonpartisan Liberty Justice Center on behalf of five small businesses that import goods from countries targeted by the duties, was the first major legal challenge to Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs.
The attorney general of New York, one of 12 states involved in the lawsuit, welcomed the decision.
“The law is clear: no president has the power to single-handedly raise taxes whenever they like,” Letitia James said.
“These tariffs are a massive tax hike on working families and American businesses that would have led to more inflation, economic damage to businesses of all sizes, and job losses across the country if allowed to continue,” she added.
