The US Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump violated federal law by imposing trade tariffs on most countries worldwide without congressional approval. The court agreed that these measures exceeded the authority granted under the statute. Six justices backed the decision, while three dissented, Reuters reports.
“The president claims to possess emergency powers that allow him to impose tariffs of unlimited size, duration, and scope unilaterally,” Chief Justice John Roberts said, writing for the majority.
The court added that imposing such tariffs would have required authorization from Congress. The emergency powers cited by Trump, the justices concluded, do not meet the requirements of the law currently in force.
US stock markets responded to the ruling with gains.