Overview
- The Federal Circuit ruled 7–4 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize most of President Trump’s reciprocal duties and left a stay in place through Oct. 14.
- The administration has petitioned the Supreme Court for expedited review and is seeking arguments as soon as November, with the justices asked to quickly resolve the dispute.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on NBC’s Meet the Press that he is confident of winning but warned refunds of about half the duties would be required if the government loses.
- Administration filings and public estimates cite potential repayments in the hundreds of billions of dollars, with tariff collections exceeding $31 billion in August and about $183 billion year-to-date.
- White House officials are evaluating alternate authorities such as Section 232 and sector-specific measures, even as labor data show manufacturing employment has fallen by 12,000 in August and roughly 42,000 since April, and several major companies report higher costs.