US business groups, lawmakers welcome Supreme Court ruling against Trump tariffs

New York, Feb 21
US business groups, advocacy organisations and lawmakers welcomed a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated President Donald Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs, calling the decision a reaffirmation of congressional authority and a relief for businesses.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court determined that the executive branch exceeded its authority by invoking emergency powers to levy import taxes on most trading partners, declaring many of the previous year's tariffs illegal.

Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer at the US Chamber of Commerce, said on Friday that the decision was "welcome news for businesses and consumers," noting that companies had faced significant cost increases and supply-chain disruptions as a result of the tariffs.

He urged the administration to move swiftly to refund unlawfully collected duties and to reset overall tariff policy to promote economic growth and lower costs for families.

We Pay the Tariffs, a coalition advocating for small businesses, also called for "full, fast and automatic" refunds, saying many of its members had paid billions of dollars in duties that "never should have been imposed."

US Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, also welcomed the ruling, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The empty merits of sweeping trade wars with America's friends were evident long before today's decision," McConnell said in a statement.

"The American people already know that when Washington throws up artificial barriers, building and buying here at home become more expensive."

Edward Fishman, a former State Department and Treasury official now with the Council on Foreign Relations, said the decision could limit the use of tariffs as a rapid-response geoeconomic tool, though they could still be employed in trade negotiations through other legal channels.

Some business groups cautioned that uncertainty remains, expressing concern that tariffs could be reimposed through alternative statutory mechanisms.