US trade court blocks Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs
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The news: A US federal court has blocked US President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, announced last month, ruling that he did not have the authority to impose the new duties.
The context: The Court of International Trade said the US Constitution gives Congress exclusive powers to regulate commerce with other nations and this is not superseded by the president's remit to safeguard the economy.
The court's decision followed a lawsuit by the nonpartisan Liberty Justice Center on behalf of five small businesses that import goods from countries targeted by the tariffs. It can be appealed by the White House in the Federal Court.
What they said: "The court does not read [the International Emergency Economic Powers Act] to confer such unbounded authority and sets aside the challenged tariffs imposed thereunder," a three-judge panel wrote.
