US President Donald Trump said on February 21 that he would raise the temporary tariff applied to almost all imports into the US from 10% to 15%, the maximum level allowed by law.
The decision was made after the US Supreme Court rejected his previous tariff program with a ruling of March 6, stating that the President had exceeded his authority by applying many high tariffs under the state of emergency economic law.
Immediately after the ruling, Mr. Trump announced a uniform tax rate of 10%. However, in a post on the social network Truth Social, he announced that it would increase to 15% and emphasized that this is a level "fully permitted by law and has been tested".
According to the White House, the new tariffs are based on another law, called Article 122, which allows a maximum tax of 15% but requires Congressional approval if it is to be extended for more than 150 days. Mr. Trump said he would take advantage of this time to promote the issuance of other "legitimate" tariffs.
The US administration intends to rely on two other laws allowing import tariffs on certain products or countries, based on investigations related to national security or unfair trade practices.
In the message posted, Mr. Trump affirmed that many countries have "taken advantage" of the US for decades without being retaliated against, and emphasized that raising taxes is a necessary action. He also showed no signs of withdrawing from the global trade war in the hours after the court's ruling.
The US President has criticized some judges in a personal way and affirmed that he still has the right to impose taxes in a way he considers appropriate. The latest move marks the adjustment of the White House's legal strategy to maintain a tough trade policy amid facing barriers from the judicial system.
