Trump warns of ‘complete mess’ if supreme court rejects tariffs | Trump tariffs
Donald Trump said “it would be a total disaster” if the US Supreme Court overturned his tariffs on global trade.
In a long message on social networks, the American president declared: “WE ARE TARGETED” if the Supreme Court rules against the customs duties, before the decision, which could come as early as Wednesday. It is a crucial legal test for his controversial economic strategy and power.
Trump said it would be difficult to roll back the tariffs because companies and countries could seek refunds, saying it “would take many years to figure out what amount we’re talking about and even who, when and where to pay.” He added: “It would be a total disaster and almost impossible for our country to pay. »
In November, the Supreme Court expressed skepticism about the legal basis of the Trump administration’s sweeping global tariff regime when the justices questioned the president’s authority to impose the taxes. The justices heard oral arguments on the legality of Trump’s tariffs.
The drastic global tariffs first announced by Trump last April are being challenged by small businesses and 12 U.S. states, who argue the president overstepped his authority by imposing new levies on imports of goods entering the country.
Before the case reached the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, two lower courts ruled that Trump lacked the authority to impose global tariffs.
When he imposed the tariffs through a series of executive orders last year, Trump cited the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, a 1977 law that, under certain circumstances, grants the president the power to regulate or prohibit international transactions during a national emergency.
A coalition of 12 states — Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont — and small businesses sued the Trump administration to block the tariffs.
At the November hearing, the Supreme Court did not spend much time discussing possible reimbursements. However, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was appointed to the Court by Trump, noted that reversing taxes already collected could become a “total waste.”
Trump also said this week that any country doing business with Iran would face a 25% tariff rate on trade with the United States, as Washington considers its response to the situation in the country, which is in the grip of its largest anti-government protests in years.
“Effective today, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a 25% tariff on all business done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a social media post on Monday. Customs duties are paid by U.S. importers of goods from these countries. Iran has been subject to heavy sanctions from Washington for years.
“This order is final and conclusive,” Trump said. The main export destinations for Iranian products are China, the United Arab Emirates and India.
Separately, Volkswagen announced Tuesday that its sales in the United States fell last year due to tariffs imposed by Trump.
In 2025, the automaker’s global sales fell by 1.4%, blamed on “challenging market conditions.”
Sales fell 8.2% in the United States and VW said the tariffs “had a marked impact on deliveries in North America.” Demand also weakened in China, where VW sales fell 8.4%.
Sales in Europe increased by 5.1% and in South America by 18.5%.
