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U.S. President Donald Trump announced an increase in the global tariff on imports from 10% to 15%, a move that came just one day after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled his earlier tariff mechanism illegal.
According to Bloomberg, Trump made the decision on Saturday, February 21.
“I, as President of the United States, am immediately raising the 10% global tariff on countries — many of which have taken advantage of the U.S. for decades without consequences — to the legally permitted and tested level of 15%,” Trump wrote on social media.
How Trump bypassed the court ruling
The new tariffs are being introduced under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. This provision allows the president to impose tariffs for up to 150 days without congressional approval — effectively until the end of summer 2025.
Securing permanent approval in Congress could prove difficult, as Democrats and some Republicans have already opposed parts of Trump’s trade policy.
Earlier, the Supreme Court blocked Trump’s previous tariff system, which relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Since April 2024, that mechanism had been used to impose “reciprocal” tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% on dozens of U.S. trading partners. The court ruled that such use of the law was unlawful.
Just hours after the ruling, Trump announced a new universal tariff of 10% to maintain his trade agenda. The White House said the tariffs would take effect on February 24 at 00:01 Washington time. However, the following day Trump raised the rate to 15%, without specifying a new start date.
Order to investigate trade violations
At the same time, Trump instructed the Office of the United States Trade Representative to launch fast-tracked investigations under Section 301. The procedure requires separate probes into each country and confirmation of trade violations before additional tariffs can be imposed.
According to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the investigations will cover:
- industrial overcapacity
- forced labor
- pharmaceutical pricing
- discrimination against American tech companies and digital services
- digital services taxes
- ocean pollution and seafood and rice trade practices
Trump is also considering separate tariffs of 15% to 30% on foreign-made cars, while maintaining exemptions for goods covered by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement as well as some agricultural products.
The $170 billion question
The Supreme Court ruling also raises the issue of whether previously collected tariffs must be refunded. More than 1,500 companies had already filed lawsuits in the trade court.
The higher court did not address the compensation issue, sending it back to lower courts. Potential refunds could reach up to $170 billion — more than half of all tariff revenue collected during Trump’s presidency.
Trump criticized the judges for failing to provide clear guidance. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said tariff revenues in 2026 would remain “virtually unchanged” despite the court decision.
Earlier, Trump reacted angrily to the Supreme Court ruling that he does not have the authority to unilaterally impose import tariffs. He promised to increase existing duties and begin the process of introducing new ones.
