The global economy absorbed yet another jolt when President Trump announced a new 15% blanket tariff on all imports into the United States, hours after the nation’s highest court ruled his previous tariff strategy unconstitutional. The announcement, made via Truth Social on a Saturday, was as much a political statement as an economic one — a direct rebuke of the Supreme Court and a declaration that Trump’s trade war was far from over.
Using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a law that had sat dormant for decades, Trump claimed fresh legal authority to impose the new levy. The law caps tariffs at 15% and limits their duration to 150 days, after which Congress must weigh in. The administration said it would use that window to develop new, legally durable tariff mechanisms for the longer term.
The reaction from America’s trading partners was swift and pointed. Germany’s Chancellor Merz pledged to bring a coordinated European response to Washington, emphasizing the deep harm that trade unpredictability causes to businesses and economies on both continents. France’s Macron framed the moment as a vindication of democratic institutions, praising the court’s decision as evidence that no executive — however powerful — stands above the law.
The 15% rate creates new uncertainty for the UK, which believed it had locked in a 10% tariff agreement with Washington. British trade officials expressed alarm, noting that businesses need stability to plan investments and supply chains. The British Chamber of Commerce called the hike “bad for trade, bad for US consumers and businesses, and a weakening of global economic growth.”
Trump’s fury extended well beyond economic policy into deeply personal territory. He described certain Supreme Court justices as a “disgrace to the nation,” reserved special scorn for his own nominees Barrett and Gorsuch, and praised the three dissenters — Kavanaugh, Thomas, and Alito. With the US having already collected over $130 billion in IEEPA tariffs, and 90% of that burden falling on American businesses and consumers, economists warn that escalation only deepens the pain for those Trump claims to be protecting.