Trump Increases Global Tariffs Again After Post-Supreme Court Ruling

President Donald J. Trump escalated his trade agenda on February 21, announcing that he will raise the previously proposed 10% global tariff to 15% — a move that signals the administration has no intention of retreating after the Supreme Court’s recent ruling against his use of emergency powers.

In a post on Truth Social, the president blasted the Court’s decision before declaring the increase.

“Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday, after MANY months of contemplation, by the United States Supreme Court,” Trump wrote, the worldwide tariff would be raised to 15%, “effective immediately.”

The announcement follows Friday’s 6-3 Supreme Court decision finding that Trump exceeded his authority when he invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping tariffs on individual nations.

Rather than abandon his tariff strategy, Trump confirmed he is now invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — a statutory authority that allows presidents to impose temporary tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days to address trade deficits unless Congress acts to extend them.

“We’re going forward. We’ll be able to take in more money,” Trump said.

Section 122 provides a narrower but still powerful mechanism to address trade imbalances. At the same time, the administration revealed it is pursuing investigations under additional statutory authorities that could justify tariffs on national security grounds or as remedies for structural trade inequities.

The president suggested that, in hindsight, he could have taken this alternative route from the beginning.

“Now, I’ll go the way I could have gone originally,” Trump said. “It’s a little bit longer process. I thought I’d make things simple, but they didn’t let us do that.”

The Supreme Court’s majority concluded that IEEPA does not clearly authorize the president to impose blanket tariffs. The ruling came after small businesses and several states challenged the administration’s reliance on the 1977 statute. Those challengers ultimately prevailed.

President Trump, however, made clear he views the decision as a serious misstep.

“I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” Trump said during a White House press briefing.

He praised Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh for dissenting in his favor and sharply criticized the liberal justices as automatic “no” votes on issues related to his administration. While he acknowledged what he described as their consistency, he appeared to take aim at conservative justices who joined the majority.

Trump also questioned the logic of the ruling itself, arguing that under the Court’s interpretation a president could theoretically cut off trade entirely but would lack authority to impose even minimal tariffs under IEEPA — a distinction he suggested defies common sense.

The president went further, raising concerns that external pressures may have shaped the outcome.

“It’s my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think,” Trump said, according to The Guardian. When pressed for specifics, he told reporters, “You’re going to find out,” according to Politico.

“I think that foreign interests are represented by people that I believe have undue influence,” he added, according to NBC News. “They have a lot of influence over the Supreme Court, whether it’s through fear or respect or friendships, I don’t know.”

He also criticized what he described as “the other side.”

“But I know some of the people who were involved on the other side, and I don’t like them,” he said. “I think they’re real slimeballs.”

Last year, Trump imposed tariffs ranging from 10 percent to 50 percent on goods from various countries, making trade enforcement a centerpiece of his second-term economic strategy. The Court’s ruling represents a significant legal hurdle, but not an end to the broader agenda.

The president suggested foreign governments are celebrating the decision.

“They’re dancing in the streets,” he said. “But they won’t be dancing for long.”

With the 15% tariff now taking effect under Section 122 and additional investigations underway, the administration appears determined to preserve its leverage in trade negotiations while asserting the executive branch’s constitutional authority to defend American industry.

The ruling has undoubtedly reshaped the legal landscape. But if the president’s latest move is any indication, the battle over tariffs — and over the limits of presidential power in matters of economic sovereignty — is far from over.