The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs in a 6–3 decision, ruling that he exceeded the authority Congress had given him under existing federal law.

What exactly did the Court decide?

  • By a 6–3 vote, the Court held that Trump’s global “emergency” tariffs went beyond the powers Congress delegated under a 1977 emergency‑powers statute related to foreign threats.
  • The majority said the law allowed the president to regulate commerce in an emergency, but not to unilaterally impose open‑ended tariffs on any country, for any product, at any rate, for any duration.
  • Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, emphasizing that when Congress wants to give tariff‑setting power to the president, it does so “clearly and with careful constraints,” which it had not done here.

How did each side line up?

  • In the majority (voting against the tariffs): Chief Justice Roberts, joined by the Court’s three liberal justices plus Trump‑appointed Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch.
  • In dissent (voting to uphold the tariffs): Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh.

So, in simple terms:

  • 6 justices voted that Trump’s emergency tariffs were illegal.
  • 3 justices voted that the tariffs were lawful and should stand.

What happens to the tariffs money?

  • The Court did not squarely decide what should happen to the more than roughly $130 billion that had already been collected through these tariffs, leaving refunds and implementation questions to future proceedings and political decisions.

Why this matters right now

  • This is one of the biggest recent checks on presidential economic power, especially on using emergency authorities to reshape trade policy without Congress.
  • The ruling has already triggered intense debate in political circles and investor forums about possible tariff refunds, trade uncertainty, and Trump’s next moves (including talk of alternative tariff schemes).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.