US President Donald Trump has announced plans to raise a proposed 10% global tariff on imports to 15%, deepening market uncertainty as he criticized the Supreme Court of the United States for blocking his earlier tariff mechanism.
On Friday, Trump had said he would replace the tariffs invalidated by the court with a 10% levy on all goods entering the US.
However, on Saturday, he posted on Truth Social that the rate would instead be increased to the maximum permitted under a previously unused trade provision.
The law he invoked allows the tariffs to remain in effect “for about five months before the administration must seek approval from Congress.
What they are saying
Trump is moving quickly to preserve his trade agenda after the Supreme Court ruled against his use of emergency powers to impose so-called reciprocal tariffs globally and pressure foreign governments.
- “I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,” Trump said in a social-media post on Saturday.
The original 10% tariffs were scheduled to take effect on Tuesday, February 24, though it remains unclear whether the new 15% rate will begin on the same date.
Backstory
In a 6–3 ruling, the Supreme Court determined that Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping global tariffs last year under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The US government has collected at least $130 billion in tariffs under IEEPA, according to recent official data.
Following the ruling, Trump said he was “ashamed of certain members of the court” and referred to the justices who opposed his trade measures as “fools.”
The majority opinion included the court’s three liberal justices, Chief Justice John Roberts, nominated by former President George W. Bush, and two justices appointed by Trump: Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch. Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Samuel Alito dissented.
Within hours of the decision, Trump imposed a 10% global tariff on foreign goods, arguing that the measures are central to his economic and national security strategy.
However, his Saturday post signaled a shift to a higher rate, despite having said on Friday, “Every single thing I said today is guaranteed certainty.”
More insights
Trump’s push to reinstate and expand the tariffs highlights potential economic volatility ahead.
The alternative legal tools available to him are narrower than the sweeping emergency powers he previously claimed and could face fresh legal challenges.
The new 15% baseline tariff is being introduced under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose tariffs for up to 150 days without congressional approval.
Securing longer-term approval could prove difficult, as Democrats and some Republicans have criticized aspects of his trade policy.
Trump is expected to address lawmakers and members of the Supreme Court during his upcoming State of the Union address in Washington, where his economic agenda is likely to feature prominently amid concerns over inflation and the cost of living.
What you should know
Last April, Trump relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% on multiple US trading partners.
- He had earlier announced a baseline 10% tariff on all imports, alongside higher reciprocal tariffs targeting countries that levy steeper duties on American goods.
- Under the revised framework, exports from Nigeria to the US would face a 14% tariff, compared to the 27% rate the US government claims it receives from Nigeria.
According to data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, trade between Nigeria and the US totaled N31.1 trillion between 2015 and 2024, with imports during that period amounting to N16.4 trillion, representing 8.7% of Nigeria’s global exports.
