On February 20, the US Supreme Court ruled that the large-scale global tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump were illegal. This is reported by Bloomberg.
These are “reciprocal tariffs” announced by Trump in early April 2025 in response to the actions of other states. Six justices voted to three, concluding that Trump had exceeded his authority when, citing a federal emergency powers law, he imposed his “reciprocal” tariffs around the world, as well as individual import taxes that the administration justified by “combating the fentanyl trade.” The judges did not address the question of the extent to which importers could claim compensation, leaving it to a lower court. If fully allowed, the refund could reach $170 billion, more than half of the revenue generated by Trump’s tariffs.
Previously, the US and the European Union have been engaged in difficult negotiations over future trade terms amid US threats to impose a 30% tariff on European goods, while the EU has sought to maintain the base rate at 10%.
On July 28 last year, it became known that the EU and the US had concluded a framework trade agreement that provided for a 15% tariff on all goods from the EU to the US – from cars to wines. Trump called the agreement “the greatest deal ever made,” while the European Union criticized the head of the European Commission for such a compromise.
It was also reported that the European Union managed to agree to zero tariffs from the United States on a number of goods, including aircraft and their components, as well as generic pharmaceuticals.
At the end of 2025, Trump stated that the tariffs he had introduced had significantly reduced the US trade deficit and contributed to GDP growth.
