Washington: US President Donald Trump did not have legal authority to impose comprehensive import taxes on nearly every country, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said Trump could not declare a national emergency to justify the imposition of sweeping tariffs. The ruling upheld a May decision by a special federal trade court in New York.
In a 7-4 verdict, the judges wrote, “It seems unlikely that the intention of the Congress [was] that the president had to be given unlimited authority to levy taxes.”
However, the court allowed Trump’s broader protectionist measures aimed at shielding the US economy to remain in place for now.
