Appeals court rules Trump ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs unlawful

Published August 29, 2025 6:15pm ET



A federal appeals court on Friday ruled President Donald Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs were unlawfully implemented.

A split U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled 7-4 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which Trump cited to issue his so-called “reciprocal tariffs” and a trio of tariffs aimed at Canada, Mexico, and China, does not grant the president the power to levy tariffs and ruled those tariffs unlawful.

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