Overview
- At Wednesday’s hearing, justices including Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett signaled skepticism that IEEPA’s power to “regulate importation” authorizes sweeping tariff schedules, invoking separation‑of‑powers and major‑questions concerns.
- Lower courts have already ruled the IEEPA-based tariffs unlawful, the consolidated case is now before the Supreme Court, and the duties remain in effect pending a decision.
- On Sunday, President Trump blasted the Court on social media, defending tariffs as a national security tool and ridiculing predictions on betting markets that the justices may strike them down.
- Economist analyses and price trackers, including research from the Harvard Pricing Lab, tie the tariffs to higher retail prices and a measurable boost to recent CPI readings.
- The White House says it will pivot to other trade statutes if needed, and business groups warn a court win for challengers could be short-lived as political backlash over rising prices intensifies after recent state election results.