U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war against American consumers (and Canada and the rest of the world) isn’t over, but it just suffered a major setback. In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the law on which the president relied to unilaterally impose high tariffs without seeking congressional approval awards him no such authority. With two of the three justices Trump appointed to the high court joining the decision, it’s a decisive blow against the Trump administration’s neo-mercantilist trade policies and also against the growth of executive power, which has been stretched beyond constitutional bounds by presidents from both major political parties.
What does the U.S. court ruling on Trump’s tariffs mean for Canada?
U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to use alternative ways to carry out his economic agenda on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his use of global tariffs, and experts say Canada will likely continue to experience trade uncertainty with its southern neighbour.
Trump used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify imposing sweeping tariffs on several countries, including Canada and Mexico. On Friday, the top U.S. court ruled 6-3 that this emergency powers act does not give the president the power to impose what Trump called “reciprocal” tariffs.
President Trump’s remarks after today’s Supreme Court decision regarding his tariffs.
. pic.twitter.com/35tk6D8NpH— Paul Villarreal (AKA Vince Manfeld) (@AureliusStoic1) February 20, 2026
and this…
LILLEY: Trump’s court loss on tariffs doesn’t mean much for Canada
