US court blocks tariffs imposed by Donald Trump under emergency powers law

A court in the United States on Wednesday blocked tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on imports into the country under a law that gives him extraordinary powers in emergency situations, reported Reuters.

The New York-based Court of International Trade said that the country’s Constitution gave Congress exclusive authority to regulate international commerce, and that the president’s emergency powers did not override this.

“The court does not pass upon the wisdom or likely effectiveness of the president's use of tariffs as leverage,” a three-judge panel was quoted as saying by Reuters. “That use is impermissible not because it is unwise or ineffective, but because [federal law] does not allow it.”

The court passed an injunction blocking all of Trump’s tariff-related orders under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The ruling, however, does not halt the tariffs that the president imposed using his powers under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, reported the Associated Press. Among the tariff measures imposed under this law were a 25% tax imposed on most imported automobiles and on all foreign-made steel and aluminium.

On April 2, the United States announced “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries, including a 26% “discounted” levy on India. Trump had repeatedly said he intended to impose a reciprocal tax on India, among others, citing the high...

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