Trump sets new customs fee for all countries

The top US judges gave their decision: most of the customs tariffs unilaterally imposed by President Donald Trump are invalid and unacceptable, the Supreme Court in Washington ruled on Friday (20.02). A historic decision and a serious loss for Trump, whose reaction did not delay.

Following the Supreme Court's decision, Trump immediately announced a new global fee for almost all imports, relying on another legal basis. He also physically attacked the judges: “I am ashamed of some members of the court, I am really ashamed because they do not have the courage to do what is right for our country,” Trump said at a press conference at the White House.

“They are very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution”, Trump continued. He also taunted the defenders of the Constitution, calling them <x2, fools and domestic puppy”.

Even conservative counter tariff judges

The irony is that conservative judges, personally appointed by Republican Trump, also voted in favour of the ban on customs duties. The reason is that by the beginning of his second mandate, Trump had imposed tariffs on dozens of business partners always bypassing Congress, thus without allowing MPs and senators to participate in decision-making. To issue customs duties, he was based on a law on the state of emergency in 1977.

Now it's clear: Trump has surpassed his powers. According to the Supreme Court, the law on the state of emergency does not give him authority to set one-sided tariffs. With this decision Trump loses a legal basis that he had used not only in economic policy but also to impose foreign policy interests.

Following the verdict of the White House tribunal, the White House officially announced that customs tariffs based on <x1 International Eergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)” will no longer be implemented. But Trump announced that a new global customs fee of 15 percent would be imposed instead, again without the approval of the two chambers of Parliament. Initially he had announced a ten - percent customs fee.

Tarifa “for all countries” will enter into force “almost immediately”, Trump wrote on his online Social Brain platform. According to the White House, the measure is expected to be implemented starting Tuesday for a 150-day period. For some sectors there will be exceptions.

This time Trump is counting on an American trade law of 1974, which in certain conditions allows, setting tariffs for imports up to 150 days. Experts have already questioned, however, whether legal conditions for such an act are met. To set tariffs for a longer period, Trump in any case needs the approval of the American Congress. /DW/ Periscope.