Overview
- The justices heard nearly three hours of arguments on whether the 1977 IEEPA allows the president to impose sweeping import tariffs.
- Several conservatives, including Chief Justice John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett, and Neil Gorsuch, questioned the claim that tariffs are not taxes reserved to Congress.
- The contested “reciprocal” duties reach roughly 190 countries at rates around 10% to 50%, separate from sector-specific measures like steel and autos.
- Lower courts have deemed parts of the program unlawful but left the duties in effect pending review, raising the prospect of large refunds if the Court strikes them down.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer attended the session as Trump called the case a “matter of life or death.”