US President Donald Trump has reignited his global trade offensive, announcing a fresh 15 percent tariff on imports just hours after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down his earlier duties as unlawful. Calling the court’s verdict a “terrible decision,” Trump initially moved on Friday (February 20) to impose a 10 percent blanket tariff. Within a day, he escalated the rate to the legal ceiling of 15 percent, declaring on social media Saturday (February 21) that the higher levy would take effect instead.
The president remained openly combative, arguing that his administration has “great alternatives” to secure revenue and strengthen the American economy. He sharply criticised members of the judiciary, saying he was “ashamed” of conservative justices who opposed him and branding the court’s liberal wing a “disgrace.”
The new tariff framework marks a significant recalibration of US trade policy. Major economies such as India, China, South Korea and Brazil will now see their duties standardised at 15 percent, in many cases lower than the “reciprocal” tariffs previously imposed.
According to a report by The Indian Express, India’s effective tariff burden, which had climbed to as high as 50 percent on certain goods, will drop to a flat 15 percent beginning February 24. On the other hand, countries including the United Kingdom, Australia and Saudi Arabia are expected to face higher rates than before under the revised structure.
Several sensitive sectors, pharmaceuticals, electronics and aerospace products, remain exempt. However, Washington expects trading partners to continue honouring earlier concessions, even though previously negotiated agreements are effectively overridden by the new across-the-board levy.
To implement the revised duties, the administration has invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — a rarely used provision meant to address “large and serious” balance-of-payments deficits.
Unlike Trump’s earlier tariff strategy, this authority is temporary. It permits tariffs of up to 15 percent but only for 150 days, unless Congress votes to extend the measure. To create a more durable legal footing, Trump has instructed the US Trade Representative to begin new investigations under Section 301 into alleged “unfair” trade practices, a process that could take up to a year and potentially justify country-specific tariffs later.
Meanwhile, industry-based levies on steel and aluminium remain in place under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows restrictions on national security grounds.
The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that Trump exceeded his authority by relying on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 to impose sweeping tariffs.
The majority concluded that the Constitution grants Congress , not the president, the power to levy taxes. The IEEPA, the court held, was designed to regulate commerce in emergencies, such as through sanctions, not to generate revenue through tariffs. By contrast, Section 122 provides a clearer, though narrower, statutory basis for temporary trade measures.
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