Several countries including the UK and Switzerland on Friday responded swiftly after the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs imposed under a national emergency law.
In its 6-3 vote, the court ruled Trump's attempt to use an emergency powers law to enact the levies was not valid.
In the ruling authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court upheld a lower court's decision that Trump exceeded his authority by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs on multiple US trading partners.
The justices ruled that IEEPA did not grant the president the power to unilaterally impose wide-ranging tariff measures.
The decision has significant implications for global trade flows and diplomatic ties, with governments closely assessing the impact.
Canada: ‘Tariffs Were Unjustified'
Canada said the Supreme Court decision confirms that Trump's tariffs were “unjustified.”
Canada had faced 35% tariffs on certain goods, though most products were exempt under the US-Canada-Mexico (USMCA) free trade agreement. It was also affected by a 50% levy on imported metals and a 25% duty on non-US cars.
Trump Tariff Verdict LIVE Updates
United Kingdom: Will ‘Work With' US
A British government spokesperson said the UK “will work with” the United States on the impact of the ruling, AFP reported. Britain had faced a baseline tariff of 10% under Trump's reciprocal tariff framework.
European Union: ‘Analysing' The Ruling
An EU spokesperson said the bloc is carefully “analysing” the Supreme Court's decision, according to AFP.
Last year, the US and EU reached a trade agreement that set a 15% tariff rate for most European exports to the US.
Switzerland: Acknowledges Decision
The Swiss government said its Federal Council “acknowledges” the ruling but declined to comment further.
In January, Trump had agreed to lower the 39% tariff rate on Swiss imports to 15%, while warning the rate could be raised again.
Sector-Specific Tariffs Still Stand
The Supreme Court's ruling does not affect sector-specific tariffs imposed under separate legal authorities, including duties on steel, aluminium and other targeted goods.
Ongoing US government investigations could also lead to further sectoral tariffs, meaning trade tensions in specific industries may continue despite the broader court ruling.
A lower trade court had earlier ruled in May that Trump overstepped his authority with across-the-board tariffs and blocked most of them, but that decision was paused while the government appealed, AFP reported.
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