Donald Trump has signalled that his administration will not abandon its aggressive tariff policy even if the US cupreme court rules against it, raising fresh uncertainty over the future of US trade measures and presidential powers.
Speaking on Thursday, Trump said the White House would look for other options if the top court does not deliver a verdict favourable to his administration. “If we don’t get the spreme court decision we want on tariffs, we’ll do something else,” he said, without spelling out what alternative steps could be taken.
The remarks come at a sensitive moment, with the court weighing legal challenges to a sweeping set of tariffs imposed by Trump. The case has drawn close attention from businesses, global markets and US trading partners, as it could reshape the limits of executive authority over trade policy.
Trump has consistently defended the tariffs as a core pillar of his economic agenda. He argues that higher import duties protect American manufacturing, strengthen national security and give the US leverage in negotiations with other countries. To justify the measures, his administration relied heavily on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law that grants presidents broad authority during national emergencies.
Critics, however, contend that the law was never intended to support wide-ranging, long-term trade policy. They argue that using IEEPA to impose tariffs effectively sidelines Congress, which holds the constitutional power to regulate trade.
Legal experts say a ruling against Trump could significantly restrict the ability of future presidents to impose tariffs without congressional approval. Trump’s latest comments suggest that the administration is already considering other legal or policy routes to keep its trade strategy alive, even in the face of an adverse judgment.
On January 20, the Supreme Court once again declined to issue a verdict in the closely watched case, extending uncertainty over the fate of the tariffs. The next possible date for a ruling is February 20.
At the heart of the dispute is whether Trump acted within his statutory authority when he declared a national emergency over persistent US trade deficits and used that declaration to impose duties on imports from nearly all major US trading partners.
A ruling against Trump could have wide-ranging consequences. Beyond curbing presidential power over trade, it could allow companies to seek refunds on tariffs already paid. Court filings have cited estimates of potential refunds exceeding $130 billion.
Until the supreme court delivers its verdict, the legality of Trump’s tariff regime — and the financial exposure tied to it — remains unresolved, keeping markets and businesses on edge.