Overview
- The Court heard nearly three hours of oral arguments on Wednesday, leaving the contested tariffs in force as it deliberates with a ruling possible later this term or in the months ahead.
- Multiple lower courts previously found these tariffs unlawful but stayed their rulings, and the justices are now weighing whether IEEPA authorizes tariffs or whether such measures are taxes reserved to Congress.
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor said taxation belongs to the legislature and tariffs are taxes, while Chief Justice John Roberts suggested the administration’s interpretation would grant the president "major" authority.
- President Trump called the fight "a question of life or death," and senior officials including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House trade representative Jamieson Greer attended the hearing.
- The tariffs, ranging roughly from 10% to 50% across countries, have raised billions in revenue, and an invalidation could force the administration to return tens of billions already collected.