Overview

• The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and ordered those emergency tariffs blocked.
• A Federal Appeals Court has put that decision on hold, allowing the contested IEEPA-based tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada to remain in effect pending further review.
• The Trump administration has appealed the lower court’s ruling and is exploring alternative authorities, including Section 232 of the Trade Act, to maintain or reimpose its trade levies.
• Beijing’s Commerce Ministry has demanded that the United States cancel all “unilateral and improper” tariffs, warning that trade talks with China and the EU depend on reciprocal measures.
• Duties on steel, aluminum and automobiles remain unaffected because they were imposed under separate legal statutes outside the IEEPA dispute.