(Washington DC Reuters=News1) Yoo Jeong-min, Special Correspondent = On the 20th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan to impose alternative tariffs in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were illegal, at the White House in Washington DC. 2026.02.20. © Reuters=News1 All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution, AI training usage prohibited. / Photo = (Washington DC Reuters=News1) Yoo Jeong-min, Special Correspondent.
‘President Donald Trump announced on the 23rd (local time) that he would impose higher tariffs on countries exploiting the Supreme Court’s ruling of the tariffs being illegal.’
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump stated, “If any country tries to ‘play games’ because of the Supreme Court’s ridiculous decision, especially those that have been ‘ripping off’ the United States for years or even decades, they will be met with higher tariffs than those they recently agreed to and even worse consequences.”
He issued a warning that if any country attempts to overturn trade agreements on the basis of the Supreme Court ruling after promising to lower tariffs by investing in the U.S. or purchasing American products, they would face ‘punitive’ tariffs.
President Trump also wrote, “BUYER BEWARE!!!,” implying that the responsibility for any consequences arising from the termination of trade deals lies entirely with the other country.
After the Supreme Court ruled on the 20th that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were illegal and void, President Trump immediately signed a proclamation imposing a 10% tariff on all global trading partners for 150 days under Trade Act Section 122, followed by an announcement the next day to raise the tariff rate to 15%.
He plans to review and impose tariffs based on Trade Act Section 301 and Trade Expansion Act Section 232 on some countries with unfair and discriminatory trade practices as well as certain items that pose a threat to U.S. security.
In another post on the same day, President Trump claimed, “I don’t need to return to Congress for tariff approval as President,” asserting that tariffs based on the Trade Act and the Trade Expansion Act can be enforced under presidential authority.
He stated, “That (tariff imposition authority) was obtained in various forms long ago,” and “reaffirmed by that ridiculous and poorly written Supreme Court decision.”
He argues that since the Supreme Court judged reciprocal tariffs to be illegal due to the absence of tariff mention in the IEEPA, tariffs mentioned in the Trade Act and the Trade Expansion Act cannot be problematic.