The Trump administration just slapped a 10 percent tariff on most imported goods, bringing back a global rate after the Supreme Court threw out a huge chunk of his previous emergency import taxes, as reported by The Hill. This move comes after a weekend of confusion and a pretty wild policy flip-flop that left many scratching their heads.
Initially, President Trump announced that the global tariff rate would jump “immediately” to a “fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level.” However, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released its notice, it stated that imports would “be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of 10%.” It’s still a mystery why the rate got readjusted from Trump’s weekend declaration, but hey, that’s how things roll sometimes.
These new levies are being implemented under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. This section lets the president enact tariffs if there are “large and serious United States balance-of-payment deficits,” according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. It’s important to note that any tariffs issued this way can only last up to 150 days and are capped at 15 percent of a product’s estimated value. Congress also has to give its stamp of approval if these tariffs are going to be extended.
This whole situation kicked off after the Supreme Court delivered a significant blow to the president
In a 6-3 decision, the high court ruled against his sweeping tariffs that were previously put in place under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The IEEPA allows the president to “regulate” imports during national emergencies that pose an “unusual and extraordinary” threat. The Supreme Court basically said that Trump’s tariffs didn’t meet that very high bar.
President Trump took to Truth Social to denounce the ruling and announce the tariff increase. What really got people talking, though, was his direct criticism of some of the justices. He praised Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito, and Clarence Thomas, saying Kavanaugh made him “proud.” But then he lashed out at Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, his own appointees, declaring their decision against his tariffs an “embarrassment to their families.”
The Supreme Court’s ruling didn’t directly address tariff refunds, but it definitely set the stage for a massive legal showdown in the lower courts. We’re talking about more than $175 billion that could be at risk of being refunded, according to a recent analysis by Penn Wharton Budget Model economists. That’s a huge sum of money that could be going back to importers.
Naturally, this has stirred things up in Congress, particularly among Republicans. Some of Trump’s allies, like Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio, are already pushing a plan to move legislation under a special budget reconciliation process. This would be a big deal because it could allow tariff rates to go up with just a simple majority vote.
However, not all Republicans are on board. Senators Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, for instance, actually praised the court’s ruling, which leaves other GOP lawmakers wondering how to proceed. Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina mentioned that he dislikes tariffs, but he also hinted that reconciliation could be used for “more things beyond tariffs that we need to address.”
Published: Feb 24, 2026 12:30 pm