Court Blocks Trump Tariffs, White House Vows Appeal

The White House has downplayed the impact of a federal court ruling that blocked President Trump's tariffs, asserting that there are other tariff provisions that can be utilized. The court's decision, made on Wednesday, stated that the president's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as a basis for imposing tariffs exceeded his authority.

In response, White House senior officials expressed confidence in the outcome of an appeal. "If anyone thinks this has caught the government off guard, think again," said Trump's trade advisor, Peter Navarro. "In reality, nothing has changed."

Navarro argued that the administration's reasoning under IEEPA was robust. However, he noted that the court's decision essentially indicated that if this path fails, other measures can be taken.

Kevin Hassett, the Chairman of the National Economic Council, stated that the government has not yet sought alternative options. He mentioned on Fox Business that the government believes the court's decision is incorrect and is confident of winning on appeal.

Hassett added, "There are indeed alternative methods, which would take a few months to implement and use processes approved by previous administrations or the current one, but we are not planning to pursue these measures at this time."

Navarro mentioned that U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, would speak about the available tools. Regarding potential measures, Navarro referred to "Section 122" tariffs, which allow for the imposition of up to 15% tariffs within 150 days. Navarro stated that the initial reason for not using this provision was the 150-day time limit.

Hassett hinted that despite the legal uncertainty, the government intends to continue negotiations with trading partners, with more agreements expected in the coming weeks.

The court's ruling on Wednesday gave the government 10 days to comply with the order. This order applies to Trump's global unified tariffs and tariffs related to fentanyl targeting Canada and Mexico. Tariffs imposed for other reasons, including those under "Section 232" and "Section 301," have not been affected.