Trump announces additional 10% global tariff after SC setback; effective Feb 24

US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a 10 per cent global tariff order on top of existing import duties--for a period of about 5 months, signalling an escalation of his trade policy despite a setback from the Supreme Court of the United States.

The new levy will take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on February 24, as per the White House fact sheet.

Trump told a briefing he was ordering new tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, duties that would go on top of surviving tariffs. These would partly replace tariffs of 10% to 50% under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act that the top court declared illegal.


Trump said later on Truth Social that he had signed an ‌order for the tariffs on all countries "which ⁠will be ⁠effective almost immediately."

The never-used Section 122 authority allows the president to impose duties of up to 15% for up to 150 days on any and all countries to address "large and serious" balance of payments issues. It does not require investigations or impose other procedural limits. After 150 days, Congress would need to approve their extension.

“All of those tariffs remain,” he added in his first public remarks after the ruling. “They all remain. Even after the decision.”

"Effective immediately, all National Security TARIFFS, Section 232 and existing Section 301 TARIFFS, remain in place, and in full force and effect. Today I will sign an Order to impose a 10% GLOBAL TARIFF, under Section 122, over and above our normal TARIFFS already being charged..." Trump said.

Following Trump's statement on the American Supreme Court, NASDAQ was trading up by 1.06% as of 12:34 AM (IST).

'I can do anything I want': Donald Trump defiant after U.S. Supreme Court tariff blow

Visibly upset of America's top court' dissent against his orders, Trump warned that he would seek alternative ways to maintain tariff revenue, telling reporters at the White House “We have ‘alternatives’ could be more money. We will take more money, we will continue to take billions of dollars.”

In next 5 months, we are doing several investigations to impose additional tariffs on countries by checking their trade practices, the US President added.

"The good news is that there are methods, practices, statutes and authorities as recognized by the entire court... that are even stronger than the IEEPA tariffs available to me as President of the United States," Trump added.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that Trump had exceeded his authority by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad-based import tariffs.

The court held that the 1977 emergency powers statute does not explicitly authorise the president to levy duties — a power the US Constitution assigns to Congress. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.

Also read: Trump calls US Supreme Court's tariff ruling ‘a disgrace,’ says ‘backup plan’ ready

Trump 'deeply disappointed'

Reacting sharply, Trump called the decision “deeply disappointing.”

“The SC ruling on tariffs is deeply disappointing,” he said, adding that “foreign countries that have been ripping us off are very happy.”

“And I am absolutely ashamed for not doing whats right for our country,” Trump said. “I am ashamed of certain members of court.”

He praised the dissenting opinions: “When you read the dissenting opinions, there's no way anyone can argue against them.”

Trump also alleged improper influence behind the ruling. “They are very unpatriotic and disloyal to our constitution,” he said of certain members of the court. “Court has been swayed by foreign interests.”

At the same time, he acknowledged the limits imposed by the judgment. “Court says we cannot charge not even 1 dollar under IEEPA,” he said. “How ridiculous is this? I can't charge any country a dollar but destroy them.”

“I can destroy the trade, destroy the country but I can't charge one dollar,” he added.

Also read: US Supreme Court rules against Trump’s global tariffs imposed under emergency law

Trump said he had refrained from acting while the case was pending. “I want to be very well behaved, I did not want to do anything that affects the decision of the court,” he said. “I want to be a good boy.”

He also criticised political opponents over the legal challenge, saying, “Democrats are against anything that makes US healthy and great again.”

What the court ruled

The decision marks one of the most significant legal setbacks of Trump’s second term and carries major implications for US trade policy.

IEEPA allows a president to regulate certain economic transactions after declaring a national emergency to address an “unusual and extraordinary threat” originating outside the United States.

Historically, the law has been used to impose sanctions, freeze foreign assets or restrict financial flows — not tariffs.

Trump became the first president to invoke the statute to set sweeping import taxes, arguing that the authority to “regulate” imports during a national emergency included the power to levy tariffs. The Supreme Court rejected that interpretation.

The tariffs were challenged in multiple lawsuits brought by small businesses and 12 US states, most governed by Democrats, after lower courts found that the administration had exceeded its authority under IEEPA.

Legal challenges and broader impact

The cases stemmed from three separate legal actions, including one filed by five small importing companies and another brought by the states of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont. In a related case, a federal judge sided with Learning Resources, a family-owned toy company that argued the emergency powers law did not authorise tariffs.

Tariffs have been central to Trump’s economic and foreign policy strategy in his second term. On April 2 — which he branded “Liberation Day” — he announced sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from most US trading partners, citing what he described as a national emergency arising from persistent trade deficits.

In February and March 2025, he also invoked IEEPA to impose tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico, citing fentanyl trafficking and illicit drug flows.

The measures unsettled financial markets and strained ties with trading partners. According to the Congressional Budget Office, maintaining the tariffs could have had an economic impact of roughly $3 trillion over the next decade.

The ruling does not bar Trump from pursuing tariffs under other statutory authorities, but it significantly narrows the legal foundation of his emergency-based trade framework.