In the latest defeat for President Donald Trump's protectionist trade agenda, a federal appeals court ruled that the tariffs he placed on imports from other countries were improperly instituted. Trump and his administration responded by saying tariffs were necessary not only to bring in federal revenue but for the country's very survival.
On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld lower courts' rulings that Trump overstepped his authority when he unilaterally imposed double-digit tariffs on nearly every other country.
Trump had justified the move under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). That 1977 law allowed presidents, upon the declaration of a national emergency, to take certain actions, like issuing sanctions, without involving Congress.
