Why Donald Trump’s Tariff Wars Are Far from Over

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The White House still has multiple options to impose tariffs unilaterally and create leverage for its trade agenda.

The Supreme Court made media waves with its decision last month that struck down most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign trade. Trump showed considerable anger initially, but immediately also made clear that this court’s action would not stop his trade agenda. 

In any case, the court did not rule against the presidential authority to levy tariffs generally. It only decided that, contrary to White House claims, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) specifically does not give the president power to impose or modify tariffs. 

The Iran War will no doubt consume the White House’s focus in the coming weeks, but in truth, Trump has at least four options available to him that do not require a congressional vote. Besides, Trump’s agenda never saw tariffs as an end in themselves. Rather, it sees them as purely instrumental leverage to exact more favorable trade deals. This White House will certainly continue to pursue this strategy.

When Trump first took office, his approach to trade was admittedly obscure. He seemed to want tariffs for their own sake, as a way to disadvantage America’s trading partners and collect revenues in the process. It still looked that way on April 2, 2025—Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day”—when he claimed authority under........

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