US Court Blocks Most of Trump’s Tariffs, Citing Executive Overreach

By Staff, Agencies

A US federal court has struck down most of former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff measures, ruling that he exceeded his legal authority in imposing them unilaterally.

The decision, handed down by the US Court of International Trade on May 28, nullifies tariffs on dozens of countries, including those affecting trade with Ukraine.

Trump had unveiled the controversial tariff plan on April 2, branding it “Liberation Day” and claiming it was necessary to revitalize domestic manufacturing and counter foreign economic exploitation. Under the policy, Ukraine was hit with a 10% blanket tariff on its exports, while the European Union faced a 20% rate. China and other countries with large trade surpluses with the US were targeted with even higher rates.

Notably, countries such as Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Cuba were excluded from the new tariffs.

The court ruled that the law granting the president authority to impose economic measures during national emergencies does not permit open-ended tariff regimes. It emphasized that the US Constitution places the power to regulate international trade squarely with Congress, and that this authority cannot be bypassed under emergency declarations.

The court’s decision invalidates the 10% across-the-board tariffs and Trump’s proposed “reciprocal” tariffs of up to 50% on goods from over 60 countries. It also blocks tariffs previously imposed on Canadian, Mexican and Chinese products, including a 25% tariff on goods from China.

Ukraine's already struggling economy had viewed the 10% tariff as a blow, especially for its metallurgy sector, which had already been affected by a separate 25% tariff introduced in March. Despite the challenges, Ukrainian Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described the tariffs as “difficult, but not critical,” and reiterated Kiev’s commitment to long-term resilience and international economic partnerships.

In 2023, Ukrainian exports to the US totaled $874 million, while US exports to Ukraine reached $3.4 billion. The trade imbalance has worsened in recent years, and the now-blocked tariffs had raised concerns about further protectionist ripple effects in global markets.